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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Db2 for i
Created by Guest
Created on Jul 22, 2025

Allow host variable for sql-json-path-expression in JSON_TABLE nested path clause

In most of the JSON functions, I can use a host variable for the sql-json-path-expression argument.

I cannot do that in a JSON_TABLE nested path clause, however. For consistency, I'd like to be able to use host variables for the sql-json-path-expression argument of nested path clauses.

Given the RPG code:

dcl-c $Ord '$.Orders.Order[*]';
dcl-c $Sec '$.Sections.OrderSection[*]';
dcl-c $Dtl '$.OrderLines.OrderLine[*]';
...
select * from json_table(:clob_Rsp, :$Ord -- This is allowed
columns
(
"OrderID" integer,
"OrderNum" char(24),
"OrderType" char(12),
"Vendor" char(24),
"CustID" integer,
"Status" char(12),
"TotalAmt" decimal(13,2),
nested :$Sec columns -- this is NOT allowed, error "Token : -- was not valid. Valid tokens: -- <HEXSTRING> <CHARSTRING> -- <GHEXSTRING> <GRAPHSTRING>."
(
"SectionNumber" integer,
"Section" char(24),
nested '$.OrderLines.OrderLine[*]' columns -- This is -- allowed
(
"LineId" integer,
"LineNum" char(24),
"LineType" char(12),
"LineStatus" char(12),
"PartNumber" char(24),
"Description" char(50),
"QtyReqd" integer,
"QtyRcvd" integer,
"QtyUom" char(12),
"ChgAmt" decimal(13,2),
"ChgUom" char(12),
"Taxable" char(1)
)
)
)
);
Idea priority Low
  • Guest
    Aug 13, 2025
    IBM does not intend to provide a solution to this Idea at this time, so it is being closed.

    While we recognize the value of using a variable for the nested path, the change would not be as simple as it appears. The database team has many higher priority requirements, so this request is not likely to be implemented anytime soon. For that reason we are closing this request now.

    We will keep it on our internal list of Ideas we might consider in the future.

    Db2 for i development team
    IBM Power Systems Development