Loading Simple Large Objects

The database server loads simple large objects (BYTE and TEXT columns) directly from the LOAD FROM file. Keep the following restrictions in mind when you load BYTE and TEXT data:

• You cannot have leading and trailing blanks in BYTE fields.
• Use the backslash ( \ ) to escape the special significance of literal delimiter and backslash characters in TEXT fields.
• Data being loaded into a BYTE column must be in ASCII-hexadecimal form. BYTE columns cannot contain preceding blanks.
• Do not use the following characters as delimiting characters in the LOAD FROM file: digits ( 0 to 9), the letters a to f, and A to F, the backslash ( / ) character, or the NEWLINE character.

For loading TEXT columns in a non-default locale, the database server handles any required code-set conversions for the data. See also the IBM Informix GLS User's Guide.

If you are unloading files that contain BYTE or TEXT data types, objects smaller than 10 kilobytes are stored temporarily in memory. You can adjust the 10-kilobyte setting to a larger setting with the DBBLOBBUF environment variable. Simple large objects that are larger than the default or the setting of DBBLOBBUF are stored in a temporary file. For more information about the DBBLOBBUF environment variable, see the IBM Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.