In an ESQL application, SQL-specific administration data is retained over transaction boundaries.
This kind of data administration unit is called a conversation.
Figure 10: SQL conversation
The SQL conversation can assume various states:
active conversation;
a transaction of the ESQL application is openinactive conversation;
no ESQL transaction is currently open.
During a conversation the DBH notes the declarations DECLARE CURSOR and CREATE TEMPORARY VIEW.
A conversation that has not been activated for a very long time may be terminated by the DBH or the database administrator. If this happens, the next ESQL statement will start a new conversation and the ESQL runtime system will again pass data on the conversation to the DBH.
See also the DBH load parameters PP SQL and PP SQL-LIMIT in chapter "DBH load parameters", and the DAL command DISPLAY SQL on "Displaying information on an SQL conversation (DISPLAY SQL)".