The SQL Descriptor Area (SQLDA) is a data structure that contains a list of individual item descriptors for each of the values to be produced by a dynamically executed single row SELECT.
The application needs to have information such as the number of columns that will be in a retrieved row, their data types, size, and precision so it can know how to process values to be retrieved dynamically at runtime.
ANSI Compliance
The SQL Descriptor Area is ANSI/ISO SQL:2011-compliant.