Fetch Columns Using IRow::GetColumns (or IRow::Open) and ISequentialStream
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
Large data can be bound or retrieved using the ISequentialStream interface. For bound columns, the status flag DBSTATUS_S_TRUNCATED indicates that the data is truncated.
Important
When possible, use Windows Authentication. If Windows Authentication is not available, prompt users to enter their credentials at run time. Avoid storing credentials in a file. If you must persist credentials, you should encrypt them with the Win32 crypto API.
To fetch columns using IRow::GetColumns (or IRow::Open) and ISequentialStream
Establish a connection to the data source.
Execute the command (in this example, ICommandExecute::Execute() is called with IID_IRow).
Fetch the column data using IRow::Open() or IRow::GetColumns().
IRow::Open() can be used to open an ISequentialStream on the row. Specify DBGUID_STREAM to indicate that the column contains a stream of binary data (IStream or ISequentialStream can then be used to read the data from the column).
If IRow::GetColumns() is used, the pData element of DBCOLUMNACCESS structure is set to point to a stream object.
Use ISequentialStream::Read() repeatedly to read the specified number of bytes into the consumer buffer.
Example
This example shows how to fetch a single row using IRow. In this example one column at a time is retrieved from the row. This example illustrate the use of IRow::Open() as well as IRow::GetColumns(). To read the column data, the example uses ISequentialStream::Read.
The Transact-SQL code samples in this article use the AdventureWorks2022 or AdventureWorksDW2022 sample database, which you can download from the Microsoft SQL Server Samples and Community Projects home page.
The first ( Transact-SQL) code listing creates a table used by the sample.
Compile with ole32.lib oleaut32.lib and execute the second (C++) code listing. This application connects to your computer's default SQL Server instance. On some Windows operating systems, you will need to change (localhost) or (local) to the name of your SQL Server instance. To connect to a named instance, change the connection string from L"(local)" to L"(local)\\name" , where name is the named instance. By default, SQL Server Express installs to a named instance. Make sure your INCLUDE environment variable includes the directory that contains sqlncli.h.
The third ( Transact-SQL) code listing deletes the table used by the sample.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
IF EXISTS (SELECT name FROM sysobjects WHERE name = 'MyTable')
DROP TABLE MyTable
GO
CREATE TABLE MyTable
(
col1 int,
col2 varchar(50),
col3 char(50),
col4 datetime,
col5 float,
col6 money,
col7 sql_variant,
col8 binary(50),
col9 text,
col10 image
)
GO
-- Enter data
INSERT INTO MyTable
values
(
10,
'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz',
'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ',
'11/1/1999 11:52 AM',
3.14,
99.95,
CONVERT(nchar(50), N'AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz'),
0x123456789,
REPLICATE('AAAAABBBBB', 500),
REPLICATE(0x123456789, 500)
)
GO
// compile with: ole32.lib oleaut32.lib
#define DBINITCONSTANTS
#define INITGUID
#define OLEDBVER 0x0250 // to include correct interfaces
#include <stdio.h>
#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <oledb.h>
#include <sqlncli.h>
using namespace std;
const int kMaxBuff = 50;
int InitializeAndEstablishConnection();
HRESULT GetColumnSize(IRow* pUnkRow, ULONG iCol);
ULONG PrintData(ULONG iCols, ULONG iStart, DBCOLUMNINFO* prgInfo, DBCOLUMNACCESS* prgColumns);
HRESULT GetColumns(IRow* pUnkRow, ULONG iStart, ULONG iEnd);
HRESULT GetSequentialColumn(IRow* pUnkRow, ULONG iCol, BOOL fOpen = TRUE);
IDBInitialize* pIDBInitialize = NULL;
IDBProperties* pIDBProperties = NULL;
IDBCreateSession* pIDBCreateSession = NULL;
IDBCreateCommand* pIDBCreateCommand = NULL;
ICommandText* pICommandText = NULL;
IRow* pIRow = NULL;
DBCOLUMNINFO* pDBColumnInfo = NULL;
IAccessor* pIAccessor = NULL;
DBPROP InitProperties[4];
DBPROPSET rgInitPropSet[1];
ULONG i, j;
HRESULT hresult;
DBROWCOUNT cNumRows = 0;
ULONG lNumCols;
WCHAR* pStringsBuffer;
DBBINDING* pBindings;
ULONG ConsumerBufColOffset = 0;
HACCESSOR hAccessor;
ULONG lNumRowsRetrieved;
HROW hRows[10];
HROW* pRows = &hRows[0];
int main() {
ULONG iidx = 0;
WCHAR* wCmdString = OLESTR("SELECT * FROM MyTable ");
// Call a function to initialize and establish connection.
if (InitializeAndEstablishConnection() == -1) {
cout << "Failed to initialize and establish connection.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
// Create a session object.
if (FAILED(pIDBInitialize->QueryInterface( IID_IDBCreateSession, (void**) &pIDBCreateSession))) {
cout << "Failed to obtain IDBCreateSession interface.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
if (FAILED(pIDBCreateSession->CreateSession( NULL,
IID_IDBCreateCommand,
(IUnknown**) &pIDBCreateCommand))) {
cout << "pIDBCreateSession->CreateSession failed.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
// Access the ICommandText interface.
if (FAILED(pIDBCreateCommand->CreateCommand( NULL, IID_ICommandText, (IUnknown**) &pICommandText))) {
cout << "Failed to access ICommand interface.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
// Use SetCommandText() to specify the command text.
if (FAILED(pICommandText->SetCommandText(DBGUID_DBSQL, wCmdString))) {
cout << "Failed to set command text.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
// Execute the command.
if (FAILED(hresult = pICommandText->Execute( NULL, IID_IRow, NULL, &cNumRows, (IUnknown **) &pIRow))) {
cout << "Failed to execute command.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
DBORDINAL cColumns = 0;
DBCOLUMNINFO* prgInfo = 0;
OLECHAR* pColNames;
// Get column count
HRESULT hr;
IColumnsInfo* pIColumnsInfo;
hr = pIRow->QueryInterface(IID_IColumnsInfo, (void**) &pIColumnsInfo);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
hr = pIColumnsInfo->GetColumnInfo(&cColumns, &prgInfo, &pColNames);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
// Get columns (one at a time) using ISequentialStream and Open
// 3rd parameter is by default TRUE indicating use of ISequentialStream and Open.
DBCOLUMNINFO* colInfo;
for ( iidx = 1 ; iidx <= cColumns ; iidx++ ) {
colInfo = (DBCOLUMNINFO*)(prgInfo + (iidx - 1));
if (colInfo->dwFlags & DBCOLUMNFLAGS_ISLONG)
hresult = GetSequentialColumn(pIRow, iidx);
else
hresult = GetColumns(pIRow, iidx, iidx);
}
// Release the Row object.
pIRow->Release();
// Execute the command again.
if (FAILED(hresult = pICommandText->Execute(NULL,
IID_IRow,
NULL,
&cNumRows,
(IUnknown **) &pIRow))) {
cout << "Failed to execute command.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
// Now get columns (one at a time) using ISequentialStream and GetColumns.
// The 3rd parameter is by default TRUE indicating use of ISequentialStream
// and GetColumns
for ( iidx = 1 ; iidx <= cColumns ; iidx++ ) {
colInfo = (DBCOLUMNINFO*)(prgInfo + (iidx - 1));
if (colInfo->dwFlags & DBCOLUMNFLAGS_ISLONG)
hresult = GetSequentialColumn(pIRow, iidx, FALSE);
else
hresult = GetColumns(pIRow, iidx, iidx);
}
CLEANUP:
// Release memory.
pICommandText->Release();
pIDBCreateCommand->Release();
pIDBCreateSession->Release();
if (FAILED(pIDBInitialize->Uninitialize())) {
// Uninitialize not required, but it fails if an interface has not been released, can be used for debugging.
// cout << "Problem uninitializing.\n";
}
pIDBInitialize->Release();
CoTaskMemFree(prgInfo);
CoTaskMemFree(pColNames);
if( pIColumnsInfo )
pIColumnsInfo->Release();
// Release the COM library.
CoUninitialize();
}
HRESULT GetSequentialColumn(IRow* pUnkRow, ULONG iCol, BOOL fOpen) {
HRESULT hr = NOERROR;
ULONG cbRead = 0;
ULONG cbTotal = 0;
DBORDINAL cColumns = 0;
ULONG cReads = 0;
ISequentialStream* pIStream = NULL;
WCHAR* pBuffer[kMaxBuff]; // 50 chars read by ISequentialStream::Read()
DBCOLUMNINFO* prgInfo = 0;
OLECHAR* pColNames = 0;
IColumnsInfo* pIColumnsInfo;
DBID columnid;
DBCOLUMNACCESS column;
wprintf(L"[RETRIEVING COLUMN %d SEQUENTIALLY]\n", iCol);
// Get column information (basically get column id).
hr = pUnkRow->QueryInterface(IID_IColumnsInfo, (void**) &pIColumnsInfo);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
hr = pIColumnsInfo->GetColumnInfo(&cColumns, &prgInfo, &pColNames);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
// Get Column ID.
columnid = (prgInfo + (iCol - 1))->columnid;
if (fOpen) { // Get columns using ISequentialStream and IRow::Open
wprintf(L"[RETRIEVING COLUMNS USING ");
wprintf(L" ISequentialSteam and Open]\n");
// Open sequential stream.
hr = pUnkRow->Open(NULL,
&columnid,
DBGUID_STREAM,
0,
IID_ISequentialStream,
(LPUNKNOWN *)&pIStream);
if (FAILED(hr)) {
wprintf(L"Unable to get ISequentialStream interface.\n");
goto CLEANUP;
}
}
else { // Get Columns using IRow::GetColumns and ISequentialStream.
wprintf(L"[RETRIEVING COLUMNS USING ");
wprintf(L" GetColumns and ISequentialStream]\n");
IUnknown* pUnkStream = NULL;
ZeroMemory(&column, sizeof(column));
column.columnid = prgInfo[iCol - 1].columnid;
column.wType = DBTYPE_IUNKNOWN;
column.pData = (LPVOID*) &pUnkStream;
hr = pUnkRow->GetColumns(1, &column);
if (FAILED(hr)) {
wprintf(L"Error executing IRow::GetColumns.\n");
goto CLEANUP;
}
hr = pUnkStream->QueryInterface(IID_ISequentialStream, (LPVOID*) &pIStream);
if (FAILED(hr)) {
wprintf(L"Unable to get ISequentialStream interface ");
wprintf(L"via IRow::GetColumns.\n");
goto CLEANUP;
}
pUnkStream->Release();
}
ZeroMemory(pBuffer, kMaxBuff * sizeof(WCHAR));
// Read 50 chars at a time until no more data.
do {
hr = pIStream->Read(pBuffer, kMaxBuff, &cbRead);
if (FAILED(hr)) {
wprintf(L"Error reading data.\n");
goto CLEANUP;
}
cbTotal = cbTotal + cbRead;
// Print the data
wprintf(L"READ #%d: %-*S\n", ++cReads, kMaxBuff, pBuffer);
} while(cbRead > 0);
wprintf(L"[READ %d bytes for column %d.\n", cbTotal, iCol);
CLEANUP:
if (pIColumnsInfo)
pIColumnsInfo->Release();
CoTaskMemFree(prgInfo);
CoTaskMemFree(pColNames);
if (pIStream)
pIStream->Release();
return hr;
}
BOOL InitColumn(DBCOLUMNACCESS* pCol, DBCOLUMNINFO* pInfo) {
// If maximum possible length of a value column is very large (text or image
// column is read) limit that size to 512 bytes (for illustration purposes).
ULONG ulSize;
if (pInfo->wType == DBTYPE_WSTR || pInfo->wType == DBTYPE_STR)
ulSize = (pInfo->ulColumnSize < 0x7fffffff) ? pInfo->ulColumnSize : 512;
else
ulSize = 128; //default buffer to handle conversion to text of non-string data types
// Verify data buffer is large enough.
if (pCol->cbMaxLen < (ulSize + 1)) {
if (pCol->pData) {
delete [] pCol->pData;
pCol->pData = NULL;
}
// Allocate data buffer
void * p = pCol->pData = new WCHAR[ulSize + 1];
if (!(p /*pCol->pData = new WCHAR[ulSize + 1]*/ ))
return FALSE;
// set the max length of caller-initialized memory.
pCol->cbMaxLen = sizeof(WCHAR) * (ulSize + 1);
// In the above 2 steps, pData is pointing to memory (it is not NULL) and
// cbMaxLen has a value (not 0), so next call to IRow->GetData()
// will read the data from the column.
}
// Clear memory buffer
ZeroMemory((void*) pCol->pData, pCol->cbMaxLen);
// Set properties.
//pCol->wType = DBTYPE_WSTR;
pCol->wType = DBTYPE_WSTR;
pCol->columnid = pInfo->columnid;
pCol->cbDataLen = 0;
pCol->dwStatus = 0;
pCol->dwReserved = 0;
pCol->bPrecision = 0;
pCol->bScale = 0;
return TRUE;
}
HRESULT GetColumns(IRow* pUnkRow, ULONG iStart, ULONG iEnd) {
// Start and end are same. Thus, get only one column.
HRESULT hr = E_FAIL;
ULONG iidx; // loop counter
DBORDINAL cColumns; // Count of columns
ULONG cUserCols; // Count of user columns
DBCOLUMNINFO* prgInfo; // Column of info. array
OLECHAR* pColNames; // Array of column names
DBCOLUMNACCESS* prgColumns; // Ptr to column access structures array
DBCOLUMNINFO* pCurrInfo;
DBCOLUMNACCESS* pCurrCol;
IColumnsInfo* pIColumnsInfo = NULL;
// Initialize
cColumns = 0;
prgInfo = NULL;
pColNames = NULL;
prgColumns = NULL;
printf("Retrieving data with GetColumns\n");
// Get column info to build column access array
hr = pUnkRow->QueryInterface(IID_IColumnsInfo, (void**)&pIColumnsInfo);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
hr = pIColumnsInfo->GetColumnInfo(&cColumns, &prgInfo, &pColNames);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
// Determine no. of columns to retrieve. Since iEnd and iStart is same,
// this is redundent step. cUserCols will always be 1.
cUserCols = iEnd - iStart + 1;
// Walk list of columns and setup a DBCOLUMNACCESS structure
DBCOLUMNACCESS * x = (prgColumns = new DBCOLUMNACCESS[cUserCols]);
if (!(x /*prgColumns = new DBCOLUMNACCESS[cUserCols]*/ )) { // cUserCols is only 1
hr = E_FAIL;
goto CLEANUP;
}
ZeroMemory((void*) prgColumns, sizeof(DBCOLUMNACCESS) * cUserCols);
for ( iidx = 0 ; iidx < cUserCols ; iidx++ ) {
pCurrInfo = prgInfo + iidx + iStart - 1;
pCurrCol = prgColumns + iidx;
// Here the values of pData and cbMaxLen elements of DBCOLUMNACCESS
// elements is set. Thus IRow->GetColumns() will return actual data.
if ( InitColumn(pCurrCol, pCurrInfo) == FALSE )
goto CLEANUP;
}
hr = pUnkRow->GetColumns(cUserCols, prgColumns); // cUserCols = 1
if (FAILED(hr))
printf("Error occurred\n");
// Show data.
PrintData(cUserCols, iStart, prgInfo, prgColumns);
CLEANUP:
if (pIColumnsInfo)
pIColumnsInfo->Release();
if (prgColumns)
delete [] prgColumns;
return hr;
}
// This function returns the actual width of the data in the column (not the
// columnwidth in DBCOLUMNFO structure which is the width of the column)
HRESULT GetColumnSize(IRow* pUnkRow, ULONG iCol) {
HRESULT hr = NOERROR;
DBORDINAL cColumns = 0; // Count the columns
DBCOLUMNINFO* prgInfo; // Column info array
OLECHAR* pColNames;
DBCOLUMNACCESS column;
DBCOLUMNINFO* pCurrInfo;
IColumnsInfo* pIColumnsInfo = NULL;
// Initialize
prgInfo = NULL;
pColNames = NULL;
printf("Checking column size\n");
// Get column info to build column access array
hr = pUnkRow->QueryInterface(IID_IColumnsInfo, (void**) &pIColumnsInfo);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
hr = pIColumnsInfo->GetColumnInfo(&cColumns, &prgInfo, &pColNames);
if (FAILED(hr))
goto CLEANUP;
printf("Value of cColumns is %d\n", cColumns);
// Setup a DBCOLUMNACCESS structure: pData is set to NULL and cbMaxLen is set
// to 0. Thus IRow->GetColumns() returns only the actual column length in
// cbDataLen member of DBCOLUMNACCESS structure.In this case you can call
// IRow->GetColumns() again for the same column to retrieve actual data in the second call.
ZeroMemory((void*) &column, sizeof(DBCOLUMNACCESS));
column.pData = NULL;
pCurrInfo = prgInfo + iCol - 1;
// Get column id in DBCOLUMNACCESS structure. It is then used in GetColumn().
column.columnid = pCurrInfo->columnid;
printf("column.columnid value is %d\n", column.columnid);
// We know which column to get. The column.columnid gives the column number.
hr = pUnkRow->GetColumns(1, &column);
if (FAILED(hr))
printf("Errors occurred\n");
// Show data
PrintData(1, iCol, prgInfo, &column);
CLEANUP:
if (pIColumnsInfo)
pIColumnsInfo->Release();
return hr;
}
BOOL GetStatus(DWORD dwStatus, WCHAR* pwszStatus) {
switch (dwStatus) {
case DBSTATUS_S_OK:
wcscpy_s(pwszStatus, 255, L"DBSTATUS_S_OK");
break;
case DBSTATUS_E_CANTCONVERTVALUE:
wcscpy_s(pwszStatus, 255, L"DBSTATUS_E_CANTCONVERTVALUE");
break;
case DBSTATUS_S_ISNULL:
wcscpy_s(pwszStatus, 255, L"DBSTATUS_S_ISNULL");
break;
case DBSTATUS_E_UNAVAILABLE:
wcscpy_s(pwszStatus, 255, L"DBSTATUS_E_UNAVAILABLE");
break;
case DBSTATUS_S_TRUNCATED:
wcscpy_s(pwszStatus, 255, L"DBSTATUS_S_TRUNCATED");
break;
default:
swprintf_s(pwszStatus, sizeof(pwszStatus), L"OTHER STATUS VALUE: %d", dwStatus);
}
return TRUE;
}
ULONG PrintData(ULONG iCols,
ULONG iStart,
DBCOLUMNINFO* prgInfo,
DBCOLUMNACCESS* prgColumns) {
WCHAR wszStatus[255];
DBCOLUMNINFO* pCurrInfo;
DBCOLUMNACCESS* pCurrCol;
ULONG iidx = 0; // Loop counter
printf("%-3s %-20s %-21s %-9s %-9s %-50s\n", "No.", "Name", "Status", "Length", "Max", "Data");
for ( iidx = 0 ; iidx < iCols ; iidx++ ) {
pCurrInfo = prgInfo + iidx + iStart - 1;
pCurrCol = prgColumns + iidx;
GetStatus(pCurrCol->dwStatus, wszStatus);
// was the data successfully retrieved?
wprintf(L"%-3d %-20s %-21s %-9d %-9d %-50s\n", iStart + iidx,
pCurrInfo->pwszName,
wszStatus,
pCurrCol->cbDataLen,
pCurrCol->cbMaxLen,
pCurrCol->dwStatus == DBSTATUS_S_ISNULL ? L"(NULL)" : (WCHAR*) pCurrCol->pData);
}
wprintf(L"\n");
return iidx;
}
int InitializeAndEstablishConnection() {
// Initialize the COM library.
CoInitialize(NULL);
// Obtain access to the SQLNCLI provider.
hresult = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_SQLNCLI11,
NULL,
CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER,
IID_IDBInitialize,
(void **) &pIDBInitialize);
if(FAILED(hresult)) {
printf("Failed to get IDBInitialize interface.\n");
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
// Initialize the property values needed to establish the connection.
for (i = 0 ; i < 4 ; i++ )
VariantInit(&InitProperties[i].vValue);
// Server name.
InitProperties[0].dwPropertyID = DBPROP_INIT_DATASOURCE;
InitProperties[0].vValue.vt = VT_BSTR;
InitProperties[0].vValue.bstrVal = SysAllocString(L"(local)");
InitProperties[0].dwOptions = DBPROPOPTIONS_REQUIRED;
InitProperties[0].colid = DB_NULLID;
// Database.
InitProperties[1].dwPropertyID = DBPROP_INIT_CATALOG;
InitProperties[1].vValue.vt = VT_BSTR;
InitProperties[1].vValue.bstrVal= SysAllocString(L"AdventureWorks");
InitProperties[1].dwOptions = DBPROPOPTIONS_REQUIRED;
InitProperties[1].colid = DB_NULLID;
// connection
InitProperties[2].dwPropertyID = DBPROP_AUTH_INTEGRATED;
InitProperties[2].vValue.vt = VT_BSTR;
InitProperties[2].vValue.bstrVal= SysAllocString(L"SSPI");
InitProperties[2].dwOptions = DBPROPOPTIONS_REQUIRED;
InitProperties[2].colid = DB_NULLID;
// Now that the properties are set, construct the DBPROPSET structure
// (rgInitPropSet). The DBPROPSET structure is used to pass an array
// of DBPROP structures (InitProperties) to the SetProperties method.
rgInitPropSet[0].guidPropertySet = DBPROPSET_DBINIT;
rgInitPropSet[0].cProperties = 4;
rgInitPropSet[0].rgProperties = InitProperties;
// Set initialization properties.
hresult = pIDBInitialize->QueryInterface(IID_IDBProperties, (void **)&pIDBProperties);
if (FAILED(hresult)) {
cout << "Failed to get IDBProperties interface.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
hresult = pIDBProperties->SetProperties(1, rgInitPropSet);
if (FAILED(hresult)) {
cout << "Failed to set initialization properties.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
pIDBProperties->Release();
// Now establish the connection to the data source.
if (FAILED(pIDBInitialize->Initialize())) {
cout << "Problem establishing connection to the data source.\n";
// Insert your code for cleanup and error handling
return -1;
}
return 0;
}
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
IF EXISTS (SELECT name FROM sysobjects WHERE name = 'MyTable')
DROP TABLE MyTable
GO