column data typing
Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:37 am
Has a beginner I want to understand why there are two data types defined on a column : SQL data type and data element.
The product documentation nor help is not any good in describing the sql data type any better than repeating its name. Help says that data element usage is optional but enables stricter data typing in the design!...then whats are advantages and possible disadvantages ?
here is the context for my questions: in my first server job (from ch 2 of DS designer guide) migrating a universe table to a seq file a date field is converted to a month tag; I forgot to assign a date data element to an input column of sql type Date. Then Month.tag(dslink1.date) was giving me a date in format yyy-mm-dd instead of a month tag. I thought that SQL type date was enough for DS to use month.tag; on top of that the compiler does not complain and execution seems to go well. is the transform funtion missing any input check ? it certainly does not provide a month tag in that context.
what are best practice regarding data element usage and is it broadly followed by DS community ? I read a post from 2001 archived data saying data elements are not very used (as people feels no benefits I guess!) May be time has passed and things changes a little bit ?
please help me to understand all this
The product documentation nor help is not any good in describing the sql data type any better than repeating its name. Help says that data element usage is optional but enables stricter data typing in the design!...then whats are advantages and possible disadvantages ?
here is the context for my questions: in my first server job (from ch 2 of DS designer guide) migrating a universe table to a seq file a date field is converted to a month tag; I forgot to assign a date data element to an input column of sql type Date. Then Month.tag(dslink1.date) was giving me a date in format yyy-mm-dd instead of a month tag. I thought that SQL type date was enough for DS to use month.tag; on top of that the compiler does not complain and execution seems to go well. is the transform funtion missing any input check ? it certainly does not provide a month tag in that context.
what are best practice regarding data element usage and is it broadly followed by DS community ? I read a post from 2001 archived data saying data elements are not very used (as people feels no benefits I guess!) May be time has passed and things changes a little bit ?
please help me to understand all this