Hexadecimal numbers in MS SQL Server 7

notChavez · June 18th, 2003, 11:13 PM

I'm trying to create a web-based application that will allow us to store and access all of the information we need for our customer support department using PHP and MS SQL Server.

What I need to know is whether or not I can have MS SQL Server 7.0 SP4 automatically generate a hexadecimal number, either as a stored procedure or whatever.

Thanks in advance for any help.

There was a time when this was all funny to me.

David Cameron · June 18th, 2003, 11:21 PM

Certainly. You could convert an identity value to hex, or use the random number generator. In the end you just want a random number and to convert it to hex. Remember it doesn't make much difference whether the number is in hex or decimal, that is just a format for the number.

If you want the number as a hex _string_ that may be a little more difficult.

regards
David Cameron

David Cameron · June 18th, 2003, 11:30 PM

Just to reply to myself:

You could return the value as type varbinary. See the following proc:

Code:

CREATE PROCEDURE GetHex
@HexRet VarBinary(2) OUTPUT
AS

SET @HexRet = CAST(CAST((RAND()*255) AS Int) AS VarBinary(2))

regards
David Cameron

notChavez · June 19th, 2003, 08:07 PM

David,
Great! Thanks! That's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

There was a time when this was all funny to me.