Dynamic Column API
This page describes the client-side API for reading and writing Dynamic Columns blobs.
Normally, you should use Dynamic column functions which are run inside the MariaDB server and allow one to access Dynamic Columns content without any client-side libraries.
If you need to read/write dynamic column blobs on the client for some reason, this API enables that.
Contents
- Where to get it
- Data structures
- Function reference
- mariadb_dyncol_create_many
- mariadb_dyncol_update_many
- mariadb_dyncol_exists
- mariadb_dyncol_column_count
- mariadb_dyncol_list
- mariadb_dyncol_get
- mariadb_dyncol_unpack
- mariadb_dyncol_has_names
- mariadb_dyncol_check
- mariadb_dyncol_json
- mariadb_dyncol_val_TYPE
- mariadb_dyncol_prepare_decimal
- mariadb_dyncol_value_init
- mariadb_dyncol_column_cmp_named
Where to get it
The API is a part of libmysql
C client library. In order to use it, you need to include this header file
#include <mysql/ma_dyncol.h>
and link against libmysql
.
Data structures
DYNAMIC_COLUMN
DYNAMIC_COLUMN
represents a packed dynamic column blob. It is essentially a string-with-length and is defined as follows:
/* A generic-purpose arbitrary-length string defined in MySQL Client API */ typedef struct st_dynamic_string { char *str; size_t length,max_length,alloc_increment; } DYNAMIC_STRING; ... typedef DYNAMIC_STRING DYNAMIC_COLUMN;
DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE
Dynamic columns blob stores {name, value} pairs. DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE
structure is used to represent the value in accessible form.
struct st_dynamic_column_value { DYNAMIC_COLUMN_TYPE type; union { long long long_value; unsigned long long ulong_value; double double_value; struct { MYSQL_LEX_STRING value; CHARSET_INFO *charset; } string; struct { decimal_digit_t buffer[DECIMAL_BUFF_LENGTH]; decimal_t value; } decimal; MYSQL_TIME time_value; } x; }; typedef struct st_dynamic_column_value DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE;
Every value has a type, which is determined by the type
member.
type | structure field |
---|---|
DYN_COL_NULL | - |
DYN_COL_INT | value.x.long_value |
DYN_COL_UINT | value.x.ulong_value |
DYN_COL_DOUBLE | value.x.double_value |
DYN_COL_STRING | value.x.string.value , value.x.string.charset |
DYN_COL_DECIMAL | value.x.decimal.value |
DYN_COL_DATETIME | value.x.time_value |
DYN_COL_DATE | value.x.time_value |
DYN_COL_TIME | value.x.time_value |
DYN_COL_DYNCOL | value.x.string.value |
Notes
- Values with type
DYN_COL_NULL
do not ever occur in dynamic columns blobs. - Type
DYN_COL_DYNCOL
means that the value is a packed dynamic blob. This is how nested dynamic columns are done. - Before storing a value to
value.x.decimal.value
, one must callmariadb_dyncol_prepare_decimal()
to initialize the space for storage.
enum_dyncol_func_result
enum enum_dyncol_func_result
is used as return value.
value | name | meaning |
---|---|---|
0 | ER_DYNCOL_OK | OK |
0 | ER_DYNCOL_NO | (the same as ER_DYNCOL_OK but for functions which return a YES/NO) |
1 | ER_DYNCOL_YES | YES response or success |
2 | ER_DYNCOL_TRUNCATED | Operation succeeded but the data was truncated |
-1 | ER_DYNCOL_FORMAT | Wrong format of the encoded string |
-2 | ER_DYNCOL_LIMIT | A limit of implementation reached |
-3 | ER_DYNCOL_RESOURCE | Out of resources |
-4 | ER_DYNCOL_DATA | Incorrect input data |
-5 | ER_DYNCOL_UNKNOWN_CHARSET | Unknown character set |
Result codes that are less than zero represent error conditions.
Function reference
Functions come in pairs:
xxx()
operates on the old (pre-MariaDB-10.0.1) dynamic column blob format where columns were identified by numbers.xxx_named()
can operate on both old or new data format. If it modifies the blob, it will convert it to the new data format.
You should use xxx_named()
functions, unless you need to keep the data compatible with MariaDB versions before 10.0.1.
mariadb_dyncol_create_many
Create a packed dynamic blob from arrays of values and names.
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_create_many(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint column_count, uint *column_numbers, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *values, my_bool new_string); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_create_many_named(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint column_count, MYSQL_LEX_STRING *column_keys, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *values, my_bool new_string);
where
str | OUT | Packed dynamic blob will be put here |
column_count | IN | Number of columns |
column_numbers | IN | Column numbers array (old format) |
column_keys | IN | Column names array (new format) |
values | IN | Column values array |
new_string | IN | If TRUE then the str will be reinitialized (not freed) before usage |
mariadb_dyncol_update_many
Add or update columns in a dynamic columns blob. To delete a column, update its value to a "non-value" of type DYN_COL_NULL
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_update_many(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint column_count, uint *column_numbers, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *values); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_update_many_named(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint column_count, MYSQL_LEX_STRING *column_keys, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *values);
str | IN/OUT | Dynamic columns blob to be modified. |
column_count | IN | Number of columns in following arrays |
column_numbers | IN | Column numbers array (old format) |
column_keys | IN | Column names array (new format) |
values | IN | Column values array |
mariadb_dyncol_exists
Check if column with given name exists in the blob
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_exists(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint column_number); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_exists_named(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, MYSQL_LEX_STRING *column_key);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
column_number | IN | Column number (old format) |
column_key | IN | Column name (new format) |
The function returns YES/NO or Error code
mariadb_dyncol_column_count
Get number of columns in a dynamic column blob
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_column_count(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint *column_count);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
column_count | OUT | Number of not NULL columns in the dynamic columns string |
mariadb_dyncol_list
List columns in a dynamic column blob.
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_list(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint *column_count, uint **column_numbers); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_list_named(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint *column_count, MYSQL_LEX_STRING **column_keys);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
column_count | OUT | Number of columns in following arrays |
column_numbers | OUT | Column numbers array (old format). Caller should free this array. |
column_keys | OUT | Column names array (new format). Caller should free this array. |
mariadb_dyncol_get
Get a value of one column
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_get(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *org, uint column_number, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *value); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_get_named(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, MYSQL_LEX_STRING *column_key, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *value);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
column_number | IN | Column numbers array (old format) |
column_key | IN | Column names array (new format) |
value | OUT | Value of the column |
If the column is not found NULL returned as a value of the column.
mariadb_dyncol_unpack
Get value of all columns
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_unpack(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, uint *column_count, MYSQL_LEX_STRING **column_keys, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE **values);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string to unpack. |
column_count | OUT | Number of columns in following arrays |
column_keys | OUT | Column names array (should be free by caller) |
values | OUT | Values of the columns array (should be free by caller) |
mariadb_dyncol_has_names
Check whether the dynamic columns blob uses new data format (the one where columns are identified by names)
my_bool mariadb_dyncol_has_names(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
mariadb_dyncol_check
Check whether dynamic column blob has correct data format.
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_check(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
mariadb_dyncol_json
Get contents od a dynamic columns blob in a JSON form
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_json(DYNAMIC_COLUMN *str, DYNAMIC_STRING *json);
str | IN | Packed dynamic columns string. |
json | OUT | JSON representation |
mariadb_dyncol_val_TYPE
Get dynamic column value as one of the base types
enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_val_str(DYNAMIC_STRING *str, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *val, CHARSET_INFO *cs, my_bool quote); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_val_long(longlong *ll, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *val); enum enum_dyncol_func_result mariadb_dyncol_val_double(double *dbl, DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *val);
str or ll or dbl | OUT | value of the column |
val | IN | Value |
mariadb_dyncol_prepare_decimal
Initialize DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE
before value of value.x.decimal.value
can be set
void mariadb_dyncol_prepare_decimal(DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE *value);
value | OUT | Value of the column |
This function links value.x.decimal.value
to value.x.decimal.buffer
.
mariadb_dyncol_value_init
Initialize a DYNAMIC_COLUMN_VALUE
structure to a safe default.
#define mariadb_dyncol_value_init(V) (V)->type= DYN_COL_NULL
mariadb_dyncol_column_cmp_named
Compare two column names (currently, column names are compared with memcmp())
int mariadb_dyncol_column_cmp_named(const MYSQL_LEX_STRING *s1, const MYSQL_LEX_STRING *s2);