Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SAException (0x80004005): Procedure 'Describe' not found

[gchg]

Hi

If I run - Describe TableName - in Interactive SQL it returns the column name, type, nullable and Primary Key - but when running the same from a .NET app it throws the above error. The full text of the error is below. Any ideas?

Thanks

Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SAException (0x80004005): Procedure 'Describe' not found
at Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SACommand._ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior commandBehavior, Boolean isExecuteScalar, Boolean isBeginExecuteReader)
at Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SACommand.ExecuteReader()
at Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SADataAdapter.OpenDataReader(Boolean schemaOnly, Boolean& closeConnection, SACommand selectCommand)
at Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SADataAdapter.OpenDataReader(Boolean schemaOnly, Boolean& closeConnection)
at Sap.Data.SQLAnywhere.SADataAdapter.Fill(DataSet dataSet, Int32 startRecord, Int32 maxRecords, String srcTable, IDbCommand command, CommandBehavior behavior)
at System.Data.Common.DbDataAdapter.Fill(DataSet dataSet)

[gchg]

As an update - SELECT c.column_name AS 'Name', c.base_type_str AS 'Type', c.nulls AS 'Nulls', c.`default` AS 'Default' FROM systabcol c KEY JOIN systab t ON t.table_name = 'MyTable' does the same thing. Any idea, though, how to determine if as default value is user or computed? Thanks

[VolkerBarth · Accepted solution]

AFAIK, DESCRIBE is an DBISQL resp. Embedded SQL statement and as such not available for generic database APIs like ODBC or ADO.Net.

As you have suggested, a query on SYS.SYSTABCOL should reveal all details, such as

select SC.*
from SYS.SYSTAB ST key join SYS.SYSTABCOL SC
where ST.table_name = 'MyTableName'
order by column_id

SYSTABCOL column "column_type" does tell whether a column is computed or not (C=computed column, and R=other columns), and a default ist marked with "R".

Addionally, you can use builtin stored procedures like sa_decribe_query() to query the result set of arbitrary queries resp. sa_get_table_definition() to get the full CREATE TABLE statement for a table.

[gchg · Accepted solution]

Thank you, Volker - that is just what I needed.