Creating Models › Creating a Physical Model › Columns › Defining Table Column Properties for Target Databases › Define DB2 for i Table Column Properties

Define DB2 for i Table Column Properties

In a model based on a DB2 for i target server, you use the DB2 for i tab in the Table Column Editor to manage the data type, null option, and other properties for the selected column.

Note: The options described here are the basic options available for most physical data types. There can be more options available depending on the physical data type you assign to the table column. We recommend that you refer to your DB2 documentation for more information about using these properties.

To define DB2 for i table column properties

1. Right-click a column in the Model Explorer and click Properties.

   The DB2 for i Table Column Editor opens.

2. Select the table from the Table drop-down that contains the column that you want to define.
3. Select the column in the Navigation Grid that you want to define.

   Note: Click New on the toolbar to create a new column. Use the Enter filter text box to filter a very large list of columns to quickly locate the one that you want to define.

4. Click the DB2 for i tab and work with the following options:

   Physical Data type

   Lets you select a data type from the drop-down list to apply to the selected column. If the selected data type requires a value for precision, scale, or both, enter the value inside the data type parentheses. For example, you can select the DECIMAL() data type and specify a precision of 2 and a scale of 10 inside the parentheses to assign the data type DECIMAL(2,10) to the selected column.

   Null Option

   Lets you specify a null option for the selected column.

   Maximum Length In Row

   Lets you enter the maximum length allowed in a row for the data type you assigned.

   Average Width

   Lets you enter an estimated average width for the column if variable width is allowed based on the data type you assigned. If it is not allowed, an error is displayed in the Details section at the bottom of the editor. You can later use the Volumetrics dialog to calculate table and database size estimates based on these and other values.

   Percent Null

   Lets you enter the estimated percentage of nulls used for that column if the option is available. For example, you can estimate a variable width ADDRESS 2 column assigned a width of 50 characters, to be NULL about 30 percent of the time. Use whole numbers. You can later use the Volumetrics dialog to calculate table and database size estimates based on these and other values.

   Label

   Lets you enter the name of a label that appears opposite the column value in DB2 for i applications.

   Header

   Lets you enter the heading name for column values when they appear as a table.

   DB Name

   Lets you enter the name that designates the DB2 for i database.

   Column Compression

   Specifies whether to use column compression. Select the check box to enable this option.

   Generated

   Lets you specify how DB2 for i generates values for the table column. Select a value from the drop-down list.

   Character Type

   Lets you specify the data subtype for a character column. Select a value from the drop-down list.

   Note: This option is only available if you select either the CHAR, CHAR(), CHARACTER, CHARACTER(), VARCHAR(), or LONG VARCHAR() data type.

   Coded Character Set Identifier

   Lets you specify the CCSID for the selected table column.

   System Name

   Lets you enter a name to override the alias name that DB2 for i automatically assigns to each column. Leave this field empty if you want the DB2 for i database to automatically truncate the column name to show only the first 10 characters.

   Allocate

   Lets you enter a value in characters that defines the space you want to allocate for the column in each row.

5. Click Close.

   DB2 for i table column properties are defined and the DB2 for i Table Column Editor closes.