Check Width (-checkwidth)

Use Check Width (-checkwidth) to specify whether the AVM compares CHARACTER, DECIMAL, and RAW field data against the metaschema _width field value before updating a database record. The _width field value specifies the maximum width of the data allowed in a field.

Operating system and syntax	UNIX / Windows	-checkwidth n
Use with	Maximum value	Minimum value	Single-user default	Multi-user default
Client Session	—	—	—	—

The check-width mode. Valid check-width modes are:

0 — Ignore the _width field value and store the data. This is the default mode.

1 — Store the data, and generate a warning message if the data exceeds the size specified in the _width field.

2 — Do not store data that exceeds the size specified in the _width field, and generate an error. Specify this mode if you want ABL to behave like SQL.

ABL allows for variable length data; SQL does not. This startup parameter lets you impose the SQL requirement that data cannot exceed the size specified in the _width field.

Note: The _width field value for array fields is the size of all array elements after the AVM converts the array element values to CHARACTER. This means that even with the -checkwidth startup parameter enabled, array fields can still surpass the _width field value.