Loading Opaque-Type Columns

Some opaque data types require special processing when they are inserted. For example, if an opaque data type contains spatial or multirepresentational data, it might provide a choice of how to store the data: inside the internal structure or, for large objects, in a smart large object.

This processing is accomplished by calling a user-defined support function called assign( ). When you execute the LOAD statement on a table whose rows contain one of these opaque types, the database server automatically invokes the assign( ) function for the type. The assign( ) function can make the decision of how to store the data. For more information about the assign( ) support function, see the HCL OneDB™ User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide.