title: "Sparse Columns Support (ODBC) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "03/16/2017" ms.prod: "sql" ms.prod_service: "database-engine, sql-database, sql-data-warehouse, pdw" ms.service: "" ms.component: "native-client|ODBC" ms.reviewer: "" ms.suite: "sql" ms.technology:
ms.tgt_pltfrm: "" ms.topic: "reference" ms.assetid: 11ae959f-2fb6-4b85-ac5d-1476a82136d4 caps.latest.revision: 12 author: "MightyPen" ms.author: "genemi" manager: "craigg" ms.workload: "Inactive" monikerRange: ">= aps-pdw-2016 || = azuresqldb-current || = azure-sqldw-latest || >= sql-server-2016 || = sqlallproducts-allversions"
[!INCLUDEappliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-pdw-md] [!INCLUDESNAC_Deprecated]
This topic describes [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Native Client ODBC support for sparse columns. For a sample demonstrating ODBC support for sparse columns, see Call SQLColumns on a Table with Sparse Columns. For more information about sparse columns, see Sparse Columns Support in SQL Server Native Client.
The application parameter descriptor (APD) descriptor field and SQL_SOPT_SS_NAME_SCOPE statement attribute accepts the additional values SQL_SS_NAME_SCOPE_EXTENDED and SQL_SS_NAME_SCOPE_SPARSE_COLUMN_SET. These values specify which columns are included in the result set returned by SQLColumns. For more information about SQL_SOPT_SS_NAME_SCOPE, see SQLSetStmtAttr.
A new implementation row descriptor (IRD), a read-only SQLSMALLINT field called SQL_CA_SS_IS_COLUMN_SET, can be used to determine if a column is an XML column_set value. SQL_CA_SS_IS_COLUMN_SET takes the values SQL_TRUE and SQL_FALSE.
Two [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] specific columns (SS_IS_SPARSE and SS_IS_COLUMN_SET) have been added to the result set for SQLColumns.
The following ODBC functions have been updated to support sparse columns in [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Native Client: