## SET DESCRIPTOR

SET DESCRIPTOR — set information in an SQL descriptor area

## Synopsis

    SET DESCRIPTOR descriptor_name descriptor_header_item = value [, ... ]
    SET DESCRIPTOR descriptor_name VALUE number descriptor_item = value [, ...]

## Description

`SET DESCRIPTOR` populates an SQL descriptor area with values. The descriptor area is then typically used to bind parameters in a prepared query execution.

This command has two forms: The first form applies to the descriptor “header”, which is independent of a particular datum. The second form assigns values to particular datums, identified by number.

## Parameters

`descriptor_name`

  A descriptor name.

`descriptor_header_item`

  A token identifying which header information item to set. Only `COUNT`, to set the number of descriptor items, is currently supported.

`number`

  The number of the descriptor item to set. The count starts at 1.

`descriptor_item`

  A token identifying which item of information to set in the descriptor. See Section 36.7.1 for a list of supported items.

`value`

  A value to store into the descriptor item. This can be an SQL constant or a host variable.

## Examples

    EXEC SQL SET DESCRIPTOR indesc COUNT = 1;
    EXEC SQL SET DESCRIPTOR indesc VALUE 1 DATA = 2;
    EXEC SQL SET DESCRIPTOR indesc VALUE 1 DATA = :val1;
    EXEC SQL SET DESCRIPTOR indesc VALUE 2 INDICATOR = :val1, DATA = 'some string';
    EXEC SQL SET DESCRIPTOR indesc VALUE 2 INDICATOR = :val2null, DATA = :val2;

## Compatibility

`SET DESCRIPTOR` is specified in the SQL standard.

## See Also

ALLOCATE DESCRIPTOR, GET DESCRIPTOR