# prepared_statements.rdoc

Path: | doc/prepared_statements.rdoc
Last Update: | Sun May 19 07:59:58 +0000 2013

# Prepared Statements and Bound Variables

Sequel has support for prepared statements and bound variables. No matter which database you are using, the Sequel prepared statement/bound variable API remains the same. There is native support for prepared statements/bound variables on the following adapters:

- ibmdb (prepared statements only)
- jdbc
- mysql (prepared statements only)
- mysql2 (prepared statements only)
- oracle (requires type specifiers for nil/NULL values)
- postgres (when using the pg driver)
- sqlite
- tinytds

Support on other adapters is emulated via string interpolation.

You can use the prepared_statements model plugin to automatically use prepared statements for some common model actions such as saving or deleting a model instance, or looking up a model based on a primary key.

## Placeholders

Generally, when using prepared statements (and certainly when using bound variables), you need to put placeholders in your SQL to indicate where you want your bound arguments to appear. Database support and syntax vary significantly for placeholders (e.g. :name, $1, ?). Sequel abstracts all of that and allows you to specify placeholders by using the :$name format for placeholders, e.g.:

      ds = DB[:items].where(:name=>:$n)

## Bound Variables

Using bound variables for this query is simple:

      ds.call(:select, :n=>'Jim')

This will do the equivalent of selecting records that have the name ‘Jim’. It returns all records, and can take a block that is passed to `Dataset#all`.

Deleting or returning the first record works similarly:

      ds.call(:first, :n=>'Jim') # First record with name 'Jim'
      ds.call(:delete, :n=>'Jim') # Delete records with name 'Jim'

For inserting/updating records, you should also specify a value hash, which may itself contain placeholders:

      # Insert record with 'Jim', note that the previous filter is ignored
      ds.call(:insert, {:n=>'Jim'}, :name=>:$n)
      # Change name to 'Bob' for all records with name of 'Jim'
      ds.call(:update, {:n=>'Jim', :new_n=>'Bob'}, :name=>$:new_n)

## Prepared Statements

Prepared statement support is similar to bound variable support, but you use `Dataset#prepare` with a name, and `Dataset#call` or `Database#call` later with the values:

      ds = DB[:items].filter(:name=>:$n)
      ps = ds.prepare(:select, :select_by_name)
      ps.call(:n=>'Jim')
      DB.call(:select_by_name, :n=>'Jim') # same as above

The `Dataset#prepare` method returns a prepared statement, and also stores a copy of the prepared statement in the database for later use. For insert and update queries, the hash to insert/update is passed to `prepare`:

      ps1 = DB[:items].prepare(:insert, :insert_with_name, :name=>:$n)
      ps1.call(:n=>'Jim')
      DB.call(:insert_with_name, :n=>'Jim') # same as above
      ds = DB[:items].filter(:name=>:$n)
      ps2 = ds.prepare(:update, :update_name, :name=>:$new_n)
      ps2.call(:n=>'Jim', :new_n=>'Bob')
      DB.call(:update_name, :n=>'Jim', :new_n=>'Bob') # same as above

## Database support

### PostgreSQL

If you are using the ruby-postgres or postgres-pr driver, PostgreSQL uses the default emulated support. If you are using ruby-pg, there is native support, but it may require type specifiers on some old versions (generally not anymore). You can add a __* suffix to the placeholder symbol to specify a type, which casts to that type in the SQL (e.g. :$name__text, which will be compiled to "$1::text" in the SQL). Prepared statements are always server side.

### SQLite

SQLite supports both prepared statements and bound variables. Prepared statements are cached per connection.

### MySQL/Mysql2

The MySQL/Mysql2 ruby drivers do not support bound variables, so the bound variable methods fall back to string interpolation. It uses server side prepared statements.

### JDBC

JDBC supports both prepared statements and bound variables. Whether these are server side or client side depends on the JDBC driver. For PostgreSQL over JDBC, you can add the prepareThreshold=N parameter to the connection string, which will use a server side prepared statement after N calls to the prepared statement.

### TinyTDS

Uses the sp_executesql stored procedure with bound variables, since Microsoft SQL Server doesn‘t support true prepared statements.

### IBM_DB

DB2 supports both prepared statements and bound variables. Prepared statement objects are cached per connection.

### Oracle

Oracle supports both prepared statements and bound variables. Prepared statements (OCI8::Cursor objects) are cached per connection. If you ever plan to use a nil/NULL value as a bound variable/prepared statement value, you must specify the type in the placeholder using a __* suffix. You can use any of the schema types that Sequel supports, such as :$name__string or :$num__integer. Using blobs as bound variables is not currently supported.

### All Others

Support is emulated using interpolation.

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