Data Type Mapping in Rowsets and Parameters
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
In rowsets and as parameter values, the OLE DB Driver for SQL Server represents SQL Server data by using the following OLE DB defined data types, reported in the functions IColumnsInfo::GetColumnInfo and ICommandWithParameters::GetParameterInfo.
| SQL Server data type | OLE DB data type |
|---|---|
| bigint | DBTYPE_I8 |
| binary | DBTYPE_BYTES |
| bit | DBTYPE_BOOL |
| char | DBTYPE_STR |
| datetime | DBTYPE_DBTIMESTAMP |
| datetime2 | DBTYPE_DBTIMESTAMP |
| decimal | DBTYPE_NUMERIC |
| float | DBTYPE_R8 |
| image | DBTYPE_BYTES |
| int | DBTYPE_I4 |
| money | DBTYPE_CY |
| nchar | DBTYPE_WSTR |
| ntext | DBTYPE_WSTR |
| numeric | DBTYPE_NUMERIC |
| nvarchar | DBTYPE_WSTR |
| real | DBTYPE_R4 |
| smalldatetime | DBTYPE_DBTIMESTAMP |
| smallint | DBTYPE_I2 |
| smallmoney | DBTYPE_CY |
| sql_variant | DBTYPE_VARIANT, DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT |
| sysname | DBTYPE_WSTR |
| text | DBTYPE_STR |
| timestamp | DBTYPE_BYTES |
| tinyint | DBTYPE_UI1 |
| UDT | DBTYPE_UDT |
| uniqueidentifier | DBTYPE_GUID |
| varbinary | DBTYPE_BYTES |
| varchar | DBTYPE_STR |
| XML | DBTYPE_XML |
The OLE DB Driver for SQL Server supports consumer-requested data conversions as shown in the illustration.
The sql_variant objects can hold data of any SQL Server data type except text, ntext, image, varchar(max), nvarchar(max), varbinary(max), xml, timestamp, and Microsoft .NET Framework common language runtime (CLR) user-defined types. An instance of sql_variant data also cannot have sql_variant as its underlying base data type. For example, the column can contain smallint values for some rows, float values for other rows, and char/nchar values in the remainder.
Note
The sql_variant data type is similar to the Variant data type in Visual Basic and the DBTYPE_VARIANT, DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT in OLEDB.
When sql_variant data is fetched as DBTYPE_VARIANT, it is put in a VARIANT structure in the buffer. But the subtypes in the VARIANT structure may not map to subtypes defined in the sql_variant data type. The sql_variant data must then be fetched as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT in order for all the subtypes to match.
DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT Data Type
To support the sql_variant data type, the OLE DB Driver for SQL Server exposes a provider-specific data type called DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT. When sql_variant data is fetched in as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT, it is stored in a provider-specific SSVARIANT structure. The SSVARIANT structure contains all of the subtypes that match the subtypes of the sql_variant data type.
The session property SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT must also be set to TRUE.
Provider-Specific Property SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT
In fetching data, you can specify explicitly what kind of data type should be returned for a column or for a parameter. IColumnsInfo can also be used to get the column information and use that to do the binding. When IColumnsInfo is used to obtain column information for binding purposes, if the SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT session property is FALSE (default value), DBTYPE_VARIANT is returned for sql_variant columns. If SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT property is FALSE DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT is not supported. If SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT property is set to TRUE, the column type is returned as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT, in which case the buffer will hold the SSVARIANT structure. In fetching sql_variant data as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT, the session property SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT must be set to TRUE.
SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT property is part of the provider-specific DBPROPSET_SQLSERVERSESSION property set, and is a session property.
DBTYPE_VARIANT applies to all other OLE DB providers.
SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT
SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT is a session property and is part of DBPROPSET_SQLSERVERSESSION property set.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT | Type: VT_BOOL R/W: Read/Write Default: VARIANT_FALSE Description: Determines if the data fetched in is as DBTYPE_VARIANT or DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT. VARIANT_TRUE: Column type is returned as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT in which case the buffer will hold SSVARIANT structure. VARIANT_FALSE: Column type is returned as DBTYPE_VARIANT and the buffer will have VARIANT structure. |