EQUEL accepts both fixed-length and dynamic string declarations. Strings can be declared to EQUEL using any of the declarations listed later. Note that you can indicate string length only for non-dynamic strings; that is, for string declarations appearing in common, map or record declarations. For example,

is acceptable, but

will generate an error.

The reference to an uninitialized BASIC dynamic string variable in an embedded statement that assigns the value of that string to Ingres results in a runtime error because an uninitialized dynamic string points at a zero address. This restriction does not apply to the retrieval of data into an uninitialized dynamic string variable.