Copy files that contain large objects

You can specify CRTFILE(*YES) on the CPYF and CPYFRMQRYF commands when you copy files that contain large objects (LOBs). If the from-file is an SQL table, view, or index that contains a LOB, these commands create an SQL table.

iSeries™ supports three large object data types: Binary Large OBjects (BLOBs), single-byte or mixed Character Large OBjects (CLOBs), and Double-Byte Character Large OBjects (DBCLOBs). When you copy files that contain these objects using the Copy File (CPYF) command, you should consider the following restrictions and requirements:

LOB data is not copied when you copy from and to device files, when you copy to *PRINT, or when you specify values of *NOCHK or *CVTSRC on the FMTOPT parameter. In these cases, only the default buffer value for the LOB field is copied, including "*POINTER". This is true even when you copy a file that contains a LOB field to an identical file. Valid LOB data is copied only when you have specified *NONE, *MAP, or *DROP on the FMTOPT parameter.
LOB data is not copied when you copy to a tape or diskette. In these cases, only the buffer value (including "*POINTER") is written to the tape or diskette. In addition, if you copy from the tape or diskette back to the same file, you might receive errors; this is because the file contains only the "*POINTER" value and not a valid pointer to actual LOB data.
When you specify *UPDADD on the MBROPT parameter of the CPYF command, the to-file can contain a LOB field. LOB fields are also updated when duplicate keys are encountered.
When you specify *CVTFLOAT or *NULLFLAGS on the FMTOPT parameter of the CPYF command, the to-file cannot contain a LOB field.
If you want to print a file that contains LOB fields, specify *PRINT on the TOFILE parameter of the CPYF command. "*POINTER" will appear in the print listing in place of the LOB field data, and other non-LOB field data will also appear in the listing. If you have not specified *PRINT on the TOFILE parameter and you specified *COPIED, *EXCLUDE, or *ERROR on the PRINT parameter, then you must specify *NOCHK or *CVTSRC on the FMTOPT parameter for the copy to be allowed.
You cannot specify LOB fields on the INCCHAR and INCREL parameters. You can specify *RCD or *FLD on the INCCHAR parameter, but only the fixed buffer length is compared, and not any actual LOB data.
You cannot copy DDM files that contain LOB fields to iSeries servers.

The following tables show how LOBs are mapped to other data types during copy operations. The first table shows the mapping when both fields contain LOB field types. In the tables, consider the following guidelines:

The mapping of LOBs from and to DATE or TIME types is not allowed.
These mappings are valid only for FMTOPT(*MAP) except where noted.
There are similar data restrictions for large objects as those for normal character data (single-byte, mixed, and double-byte).

Table 1. From-file and to-file mapping when both fields are large objects
Field A type	Field B type	Allowed and copy direction	Data CCSID or attributes		CCSIDs	Conversion translation performed
Field A type	Field B type	Allowed and copy direction	Field A	Field B	CCSIDs	Conversion translation performed
BLOB	BLOB	Y* <—>	65535	65535	Same	No
CLOB	CLOB	Y* <—>	Character	Character	Same	No
CLOB	CLOB	Y* <—>	Open	Open	Same	No
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y* <—>	Graphic	Graphic	Same	No
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y* <—>	UCS2	UCS2	Same	No
CLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	Character	Different	Yes
CLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	Open	Open	Different	Yes
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	Graphic	Different	Yes
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	UCS2	Different	Yes
CLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	Open	Different	Yes
CLOB	DBCLOB	N	Character	Graphic	Different	—
CLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Open	Graphic	Different	Yes
CLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Character	UCS2	Different	Yes
CLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Open	UCS2	Different	Yes
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	UCS2	Different	Yes
BLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	65535	Character	Different	No
BLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	65535	Open	Different	No
BLOB	DBCLOB	N	65535	Graphic	Different	—
BLOB	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	—
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1200	1200	Same	No
CLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Character	1200	Different	Yes
CLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Open	1200	Different	Yes
DBCLOB	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	1200	Different	Yes
BLOB	DBCLOB	N	65535	1200	Different	—
CLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	1208	1208	Same	No
CLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	1208	Different	Yes
CLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	Open	1208	Different	Yes
DBCLOB	CLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	1208	Different	Yes
BLOB	CLOB	N	65535	1208	Different	—
Note: * These mappings are valid for FMTOPT(MAP), FMTOPT(NONE), and FMTOPT(*DROP).

The second table shows the mapping between fixed-length data types and large objects.

Table 2. From-file and to-file mapping between fixed-length data types and large objects
Field A type	Field B type	Allowed and copy direction	Data CCSID or attributes		CCSIDs	Conversion translation performed
Field A type	Field B type	Allowed and copy direction	Field A	Field B	CCSIDs	Conversion translation performed
Character	BLOB	Y <—>	Character	65535	Different	No
Open	BLOB	Y <—>	Open	65535	Different	No
Either	BLOB	Y <—>	Either	65535	Different	No
Only	BLOB	Y <—>	Only	65535	Different	No
Graphic	BLOB	N	Graphic	65535	Different	—
UCS2	BLOB	N	UCS2	65535	Different	—
Character	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	Character	Same/Different	No/Yes
Open	CLOB	Y <—>	Open	Character	Different	Yes
Either	CLOB	Y <—>	Either	Character	Different	Yes
Only	CLOB	Y <—>	Only	Character	Different	Yes
Graphic	CLOB	N	Graphic	Character	Different	—
UCS2	CLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	Character	Different	Yes
Character	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	Open	Different	Yes
Open	CLOB	Y <—>	Open	Open	Same/Different	No/Yes
Either	CLOB	Y <—>	Either	Open	Different	Yes
Only	CLOB	Y <—>	Only	Open	Different	Yes
Graphic	CLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	Open	Different	Yes
UCS2	CLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	Open	Different	Yes
Character	DBCLOB	N	Character	Graphic	Different	–
Open	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Open	Graphic	Different	Yes
Either	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Either	Graphic	Different	Yes
Only	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Only	Graphic	Different	Yes
Graphic	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	Graphic	Same/Different	No/Yes
UCS2	DBCLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	Graphic	Different	Yes
Character	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
Open	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
Either	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
Only	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
Graphic	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	UCS2	Different	Yes
UCS2	DBCLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	UCS2	Same/Different	No/Yes
Character	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
Open	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
Either	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
Only	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
UTF8	BLOB	N	1208	65535	Different	–
UTF8	CLOB	Y <—>	1208	Character	Different	Yes
UTF8	CLOB	Y <—>	1208	Open	Different	Yes
UTF8	DBLOB	Y <—>	1208	Graphic	Different	Yes
UTF8	DBLOB	Y <—>	1208	UCS2	Same	No
UTF16	BLOB	N	1200	65535	Different	–
UTF16	CLOB	Y <—>	1200	Character	Different	Yes
UTF16	CLOB	Y <—>	1200	Open	Different	Yes
UTF16	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1200	Graphic	Different	Yes
UTF16	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1200	UCS2	Same	No
Binary character	BLOB	Y <—>	65535	65535	Same	No
Binary character	CLOB	Y <—>	65535	Character	Different	No
Binary character	CLOB	Y <—>	65535	Open	Different	No
Binary character	DBCLOB	N	65535	Graphic	Different	–
Binary character	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
Binary character	UTF-8	N	65535	1208	Different	–
Binary character	UTF-16	N	65535	1200	Different	–

The second table shows the mapping variable-length data types and large object.

Table 3. From-file and to-file mapping between variable-length data types and large objects
Field A type	Field B type	Allowed and copy direction	Data CCSID or attributes		CCSIDs	Conversion translation performed
Field A type	Field B type	Allowed and copy direction	Field A	Field B	CCSIDs	Conversion translation performed
VARLEN Character	BLOB	Y <—>	Character	65535	Different	No
VARLEN Open	BLOB	Y <—>	Open	65535	Different	No
VARLEN Either	BLOB	Y <—>	Either	65535	Different	No
VARLEN Only	BLOB	Y <—>	Only	65535	Different	No
VARLEN Graphic	BLOB	N	Graphic	65535	Different	—
VARLEN UCS2	BLOB	N	UCS2	65535	Different	—
VARLEN Character	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	Character	Same/Different	No/Yes
VARLEN Open	CLOB	Y <—>	Open	Character	Different	Yes
VARLEN Either	CLOB	Y <—>	Either	Character	Different	Yes
VARLEN Only	CLOB	Y <—>	Only	Character	Different	Yes
VARLEN Graphic	CLOB	N	Graphic	Character	Different	—
VARLEN UCS2	CLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	Character	Different	Yes
VARLEN Character	CLOB	Y <—>	Character	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN Open	CLOB	Y <—>	Open	Open	Same/Different	No/Yes
VARLEN Either	CLOB	Y <—>	Either	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN Only	CLOB	Y <—>	Only	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN Graphic	CLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN UCS2	CLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN Character	DBCLOB	N	Character	Graphic	Different	–
VARLEN Open	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Open	Graphic	Different	Yes
VARLEN Either	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Either	Graphic	Different	Yes
VARLEN Only	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Only	Graphic	Different	Yes
VARLEN Graphic	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	Graphic	Same/Different	No/Yes
VARLEN UCS2	DBCLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	Graphic	Different	Yes
VARLEN Character	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
VARLEN Open	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
VARLEN Either	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
VARLEN Only	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Not 65535	UCS2	Different	Yes
VARLEN Graphic	DBCLOB	Y <—>	Graphic	UCS2	Different	Yes
VARLEN UCS2	DBCLOB	Y <—>	UCS2	UCS2	Same/Different	No/Yes
VARLEN Character	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
VARLEN Open	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
VARLEN Either	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
VARLEN Only	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
VARLEN UTF8	BLOB	N	1208	65535	Different	–
VARLEN UTF8	CLOB	Y <—>	1208	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN UTF8	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1208	Graphic	Different	Yes
VARLEN UTF8	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1208	UCS2	Different/Same	Yes/No
VARLEN UTF16	BLOB	N	1200	65535	Different	–
VARLEN UTF16	CLOB	Y <—>	1200	Open	Different	Yes
VARLEN UTF16	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1200	Graphic	Different	Yes
VARLEN UTF16	DBCLOB	Y <—>	1200	UCS2	Different/Same	Yes/No
VARLEN Binary character	BLOB	Y <—>	65535	65535	Same	No
VARLEN Binary character	CLOB	Y <—>	65535	Character	Different	No
VARLEN Binary character	CLOB	Y <—>	65535	Open	Different	No
VARLEN Binary character	DBCLOB	N	65535	Graphic	Different	–
VARLEN Binary character	DBCLOB	N	65535	UCS2	Different	–
VARLEN Binary character	UTF-8	N	65535	1208	Different	–
VARLEN Binary character	UTF-16	N	65535	1200	Different	–