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<title>Prepare an SQL-statement for execution</title>
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<h1 class="refname">ifx_prepare</h1>
<p class="verinfo">(PHP 4, PHP <=5.2.0)</p><p class="refpurpose"><span class="refname">ifx_prepare</span> — <span class="dc-title">Prepare an SQL-statement for execution</span></p>
</div>
<div class="refsect1 description" id="refsect1-function.ifx-prepare-description">
<h3 class="title">Description</h3>
<div class="methodsynopsis dc-description">
<span class="type">resource</span> <span class="methodname"><strong>ifx_prepare</strong></span>
( <span class="methodparam"><span class="type">string</span> <code class="parameter">$query</code></span>
, <span class="methodparam"><span class="type">resource</span> <code class="parameter">$link_identifier</code></span>
[, <span class="methodparam"><span class="type">int</span> <code class="parameter">$cursor_def</code></span>
], <span class="methodparam"><span class="type"><a href="language.pseudo-types.html#language.types.mixed" class="type mixed">mixed</a></span> <code class="parameter">$blobidarray</code></span>
)</div>
<p class="para rdfs-comment">
Prepares a <em><code class="parameter">query</code></em> for later use with
<span class="function"><a href="function.ifx-do.html" class="function">ifx_do()</a></span>.
</p>
<p class="para">
For "select-type" queries a cursor is declared and opened.
Non-select queries are "execute immediate".
</p>
<p class="para">
For either query type the number of (estimated or real) affected rows is
saved for retrieval by <span class="function"><a href="function.ifx-affected-rows.html" class="function">ifx_affected_rows()</a></span>.
</p>
<p class="para">
If the contents of the TEXT (or BYTE) column allow it, you can also use
<em>ifx_textasvarchar(1)</em> and
<em>ifx_byteasvarchar(1)</em>. This allows you to treat TEXT
(or BYTE) columns just as if they were ordinary (but long) VARCHAR columns
for select queries, and you don't need to bother with blob id's.
</p>
<p class="para">
With <em>ifx_textasvarchar(0)</em> or
<em>ifx_byteasvarchar(0)</em> (the default situation), select
queries will return BLOB columns as blob id's (integer value). You can
get the value of the blob as a string or file with the blob functions (see
below).
</p>
</div>
<div class="refsect1 parameters" id="refsect1-function.ifx-prepare-parameters">
<h3 class="title">Parameters</h3>
<p class="para">
<dl>
<dt>
<span class="term"><em><code class="parameter">query</code></em></span>
<dd>
<p class="para">
The query string.
</p>
</dd>
</dt>
<dt>
<span class="term"><em><code class="parameter">link_identifier</code></em></span>
<dd>
<p class="para">
The link identifier.
</p>
</dd>
</dt>
<dt>
<span class="term"><em><code class="parameter">cursor_def</code></em></span>
<dd>
<p class="para">
This optional parameter allows you to make this a
<em>scroll</em> and/or <em>hold</em> cursor.
It's a bitmask and can be either <strong><code>IFX_SCROLL</code></strong>,
<strong><code>IFX_HOLD</code></strong>, or both or'ed together.
</p>
</dd>
</dt>
<dt>
<span class="term"><em><code class="parameter">blobidarray</code></em></span>
<dd>
<p class="para">
If you have BLOB (BYTE or TEXT) columns in the query, you can add
a <em><code class="parameter">blobidarray</code></em> parameter containing the
corresponding "blob ids", and you should replace those columns
with a "?" in the query text.
</p>
</dd>
</dt>
</dl>
</p>
</div>
<div class="refsect1 returnvalues" id="refsect1-function.ifx-prepare-returnvalues">
<h3 class="title">Return Values</h3>
<p class="para">
Returns a valid result identifier for use by <span class="function"><a href="function.ifx-do.html" class="function">ifx_do()</a></span>,
or <strong><code>FALSE</code></strong> on errors.
</p>
</div>
<div class="refsect1 seealso" id="refsect1-function.ifx-prepare-seealso">
<h3 class="title">See Also</h3>
<p class="para">
<ul class="simplelist">
<li class="member"> <span class="function"><a href="function.ifx-do.html" class="function" rel="rdfs-seeAlso">ifx_do()</a> - Execute a previously prepared SQL-statement</span></li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
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