Before compiling and linking the program, precompiling and binding of the 

embedded SQL statements has to be done. Precompiling converts 

embedded SQL statements into DB2 run time API calls that a host compiler 

can process, and then creates a bind file. The 

bind

command creates a 

package in the database. This package then contains the SQL operation and 

the access plan that DB2 will use to perform the operation.

Dynamic SQL

Dynamic SQL statements in an application are built and executed at runtime. 

For a dynamically prepared SQL statement, the syntax has to be checked and 

an access plan has to be generated during the program execution.

Examples of embedded static and dynamic SQL can be found in the DB2 

home directory: 

sqllib/samples/

.

DB2 Call Level Interface (DB2 CLI)

DB2 CLI is a programming interface that can be used from C and C++ 

applications to access DB2 databases. DB2 CLI is based on the Microsoft Open 

Database Connectivity (ODBC) specification, and the ISO CLI standard. The 

DB2 CLI library

can be loaded as an ODBC driver by an ODBC driver manager. 

DB2 CLI includes support for many ODBC and ISO SQL/CLI functions, as well as 

DB2 specific functions. 

When using DB2 CLI, the application passes dynamic SQL statements as 

function arguments to the database manager for processing. Because of this, 

applications use common access packages provided with DB2, DB2 CLI 

applications do not need to be precompiled or bind. Only compiling and linking of 

the application is needed. Before DB2 CLI or ODBC applications can access 

DB2 databases, the DB2 CLI binds files that come with the DB2 Application 

Development Client to each DB2 database that will be accessed. This occurs 

automatically with the execution of the first statement. 

Typically, when building an ODBC application, an ODBC driver manager is 

needed, which are normally provided by platform vendors like Microsoft or 

others. There is also an ODBC driver manager for Linux available, which can be 

found at 

http://www.unixodbc.org/

. However, in environments without an 

ODBC driver manager, DB2 CLI is a self sufficient driver, which supports a 

subset of the functions provided by the ODBC driver. Examples of C programs 

using CLI calls can be found in the DB2 home directory:

sqllib/samples/cli 

For 

additional information regarding CLI, refer to 

Call Level Interface Guide and 

Reference

, Volume 1 and Volume 2, SC09 4849 and SC09 4850.

Java Database Connectivity application (JDBC)

DB2's Java support includes JDBC, a vendor neutral dynamic SQL interface that 

provides data access to the application through standardized Java methods. 

 Chapter 1. Introduction 

25