An input parameter data type that can be used to package and pass in a varying number of parameters of varying data types to a UDF as a single UDF input parameter.
Vantage supports dynamic UDTs, which are structured UDTs with a pre-assigned UDT type name of VARIANT_TYPE, and whose structured type attribute composition is determined at run time.
The VARIANT_TYPE UDT can be used only as a UDF input parameter data type. When you declare a UDF input parameter to be of VARIANT_TYPE data type, you can use that parameter to pass in a varying number of parameters of varying types to the UDF.
The additional parameters are packaged and passed to the UDF as a single structured UDT. The number of parameters and the data types of the parameters are determined at runtime. Therefore, you can vary the parameter composition each time you invoke the routine.
To declare an instance of a VARIANT_TYPE UDT and define the runtime composition of the UDT, use the NEW VARIANT_TYPE expression. For more information, see Teradata Vantage™ - SQL Functions, Expressions, and Predicates, B035-1145. For information on declaring a UDF input parameter to be a VARIANT_TYPE data type, see CREATE FUNCTION and REPLACE FUNCTION in Teradata Vantage™ - SQL Data Definition Language Syntax and Examples, B035-1144.
ANSI Compliance
VARIANT_TYPE is a Teradata extension to the ANSI SQL standard.
Syntax
parameter_name VARIANT_TYPE
Syntax Elements
- parameter_name
- The name of an input parameter declared in a UDF.