The result set of an SQL SELECT statement within a DTW_SQL function block can be returned by Net.data into a %TABLE variable. A %TABLE variable is simply a matrix of rows and columns, analogous to a spreadsheet.

However, a %TABLE variable must first be defined before it can be used. This is done by defining the variable within a %DEFINE block at the start of the source code. A %DEFINE block is in some way analogous to the variable declarations that would appear at the start of a CL program. To define a variable named mytable as a Net.data %TABLE variable the following %DEFINE block would be placed at the start of the source.

%define {           
  mytable = %TABLE  
%}       

To populate a %TABLE variable with the result set from an SQL statement all that is required is to pass the variable name as an input/output parameter to the DTW_SQL function as in the following example -

%function(dtw_sql) list(inout mytable) {    
  SELECT CUSNUM, LSTNAM, INIT, STREET, CITY 
  FROM QIWS/QCUSTCDT WHERE CDTDUE > 0       
  %report { %row { %} %}                    
%}        

Notice that the DTW_SQL function has a %REPORT block that does nothing. The effect is that it does not generate any output and therefore only returns the SQL result in the %TABLE variable passed as an inout parameter.