SQL errors on PREPARE

Informix®

With Informix, a PREPARE instruction returns an SQL error in case of problem:

TRY
   PREPARE stmt FROM "SELECT * FROM WHERE pk=1"  -- table is missing!
CATCH
   DISPLAY "SQL ERROR:", sqlca.sqlcode
END TRY

ORACLE

The Oracle® interface is implemented with the Oracle Call Interface (OCI). This library does not provide a way to send SQL statements to the database server during the BDL PREPARE instruction, as in the Informix interface.

When preparing an SQL statement with the BDL PREPARE or DECLARE instruction, no SQL error will be returned if the SQL statement is invalid. However, an SQL error will occur after the OPEN / FOREACH / EXECUTE instructions.

Solution

Make sure your BDL programs do not test the status or sqlca.sqlcode variable just after PREPARE instructions.

Change the program logic in order to handle the SQL errors when opening the cursors (OPEN) or when executing SQL statements (EXECUTE).