Alan Pesola wrote: > How can I get the data type of each column(text, single,date etc...) > Not familiar with hashes!! Get familiar with them... > This command $sth->{TYPE}; will supposedly return an array reference > for each column but how do I read it correctly?? I keep getting > Array(hexvalue) That indicates a reference -- get familiar with them, too. Use an extra level of indirection to get the result you really want. > use DBI; > my $dsn = "somedsn"; > my $dbh = DBI->connect("dbi:ODBC:$dsn") || print "$DBI::errstr\n"; > my $sql = "SELECT somecols FROM sometable"; > my $sth = $dbh->prepare($sql) || print "$DBI::errstr\n"; > > $sth->execute; > my $num_cols = $sth->{NUM_OF_FIELDS}; > print "Getting $num_cols columns<br>"; > while(@results = $sth->fetchrow_array) { > print "@results<br>\n"; > } > $dbh->disconnect; $sth->{TYPE}[0] returns the first type: perl -MDBI -w <<'!' $dbh=DBI->connect('dbi:Informix:stores','','',{RaiseError=>1}); $sth=$dbh->prepare("select * from customer"); print "$sth->{TYPE}[0]\n"; print "$sth->{ix_NativeTypeName}[0]\n"; ! This prints 4 (meaning INTEGER, I hope), and SERIAL (the real type as far as I'm concerned). -- Yours, Jonathan Leffler ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) #include <disclaimer.h> Guardian of DBD::Informix v1.00.PC1 -- http://www.perl.com/CPAN "I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it!"