type="inline">
     <member><xref linkend="ecpg-sql-allocate-descriptor"/></member>
     <member><xref linkend="ecpg-sql-get-descriptor"/></member>
    </simplelist>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

  <refentry id="ecpg-sql-type">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>TYPE</refname>
    <refpurpose>define a new data type</refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>

   <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
TYPE <replaceable class="parameter">type_name</replaceable> IS <replaceable class="parameter">ctype</replaceable>
</synopsis>
   </refsynopsisdiv>

   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>

    <para>
     The <command>TYPE</command> command defines a new C type.  It is
     equivalent to putting a <literal>typedef</literal> into a declare
     section.
    </para>

    <para>
     This command is only recognized when <command>ecpg</command> is
     run with the <option>-c</option> option.
    </para>
   </refsect1>

   <refsect1>
    <title>Parameters</title>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry id="ecpg-sql-type-type-name">
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">type_name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        The name for the new type.  It must be a valid C type name.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry id="ecpg-sql-type-ctype">
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">ctype</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        A C type specification.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
   </refsect1>

   <refsect1>
    <title>Examples</title>

<programlisting>
EXEC SQL TYPE customer IS
    struct
    {
        varchar name[50];
        int     phone;
    };

EXEC SQL TYPE cust_ind IS
    struct ind
    {
        short   name_ind;
        short   phone_ind;
    };

EXEC SQL TYPE c IS char reference;
EXEC SQL TYPE ind IS union { int integer; short smallint; };
EXEC SQL TYPE intarray IS int[AMOUNT];
EXEC SQL TYPE str IS varchar[BUFFERSIZ];
EXEC SQL TYPE string IS char[11];
</programlisting>

    <para>
     Here is an example program that uses <command>EXEC SQL
     TYPE</command>:
<programlisting>
EXEC SQL WHENEVER SQLERROR SQLPRINT;

EXEC SQL TYPE tt IS
    struct
    {
        varchar v[256];
        int     i;
    };

EXEC SQL TYPE tt_ind IS
    struct ind {
        short   v_ind;
        short   i_ind;
    };

int
main(void)
{
EXEC SQL BEGIN DECLARE SECTION;
    tt t;
    tt_ind t_ind;
EXEC SQL END DECLARE SECTION;

    EXEC SQL CONNECT TO testdb AS con1;
    EXEC SQL SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', '', false); EXEC SQL COMMIT;

    EXEC SQL SELECT current_database(), 256 INTO :t:t_ind LIMIT 1;

    printf("t.v = %s\n", t.v.arr);
    printf("t.i = %d\n", t.i);

    printf("t_ind.v_ind = %d\n", t_ind.v_ind);
    printf("t_ind.i_ind = %d\n", t_ind.i_ind);

    EXEC SQL DISCONNECT con1;

    return 0;
}
</programlisting>

     The output from this program looks like this:
<screen>
t.v = testdb
t.i = 256
t_ind.v_ind = 0
t_ind.i_ind = 0
</screen>
    </para>
   </refsect1>

   <refsect1>
    <title>Compatibility</title>

    <para>
     The <command>TYPE</command> command is a PostgreSQL extension.
    </para>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

  <refentry id="ecpg-sql-var">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>VAR</refname>
    <refpurpose>define a variable</refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>

   <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
VAR <replaceable>varname</replaceable> IS <replaceable>ctype</replaceable>
</synopsis>
   </refsynopsisdiv>

   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>

    <para>
     The <command>VAR</command> command assigns a new C data type
     to a host variable.  The host variable must be previously
     declared in a declare section.
    </para>
   </refsect1>

   <refsect1>
    <title>Parameters</title>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry id="ecpg-sql-var-varname">
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">varname</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        A C variable name.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>