Indicator Variables
An indicator variable can be associated with a host variable for the following purposes:
• To indicate if a null was retrieved from a column
• To assign a null to a column.
• To indicate if a string retrieved from a column was truncated.
Use the following syntax to associate an indicator variable with a host variable:
host_variable:indicator_variable
If your application program retrieves a null into a host variable, and an indicator variable is not associated with the host variable, the DBMS Server issues a runtime error.