Purpose
This control enables users to specify whether to cancel a request when the number of rows specified by the RETLIMIT command is exceeded.
Syntax
| Command | Shorthand |
|---|---|
| RETCANCEL | RC |
where the following is true:
- OFF
- BTEQ stops displaying data when the specified limit is exceeded but continues gathering data from the database.
OFF is the initial default value.
It may be the best choice when executing multi-statement requests because it allows each statement to execute and process records up to the set limit.
- ON
- BTEQ cancels the remainder of the SQL request when the specified limit is reached.
When neither ON or OFF is specified, BTEQ sets RETCANCEL to ON.
Usage Notes
If a RETLIMIT value for rows has not been specified, the RETCANCEL command does not affect BTEQ.
The DEFAULTS command resets RETCANCEL setting to OFF.
The RETCANCEL command is valid in an SQL macro.
Example 1 – RETCANCEL
The following example shows the RETCANCEL command used in conjunction with the RETLIMIT command:
.set retcancel .set retlimit 10 select id, firstname from mytable order by 1; *** Query completed. 1498 rows found. 2 columns returned. *** Total elapsed time was 1 second. Id FirstName ------------ -------------------- 1 Betty 2 Michael 3 Rory 4 Pat 5 Stanley 6 Ed 7 Jane 8 Edward 9 Emily 10 Tom *** Warning: RetLimit exceeded. Cancelling the request.
Example 2 – RETCANCEL Instigated by a Macro
The RETCANCEL command in an SQL macro appears as follows:
ECHO '.SET RETCANCEL ON';