---
title: "setNCharacterStream Method to Reader object - long | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.assetid: af9a1ba8-7980-43fa-88e5-14f6cc5e897c
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# setNCharacterStream Method (java.lang.String, java.io.Reader, long)
[!INCLUDE[Driver_JDBC_Download](../../../includes/driver_jdbc_download.md)]

  Sets the designated parameter to the specified Reader object, which is the specified number of characters long.  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
public final void setNCharacterStream(java.lang.String parameterName,  
                     java.io.Reader value,  
                     long length)  
```  
  
#### Parameters  
 *parameterName*  
  
 A **String** that indicates the parameter name.  
  
 *value*  
  
 A Reader object.  
  
 *length*  
  
 A **long** that indicates the number of characters in the stream.  
  
## Exceptions  
 [SQLServerException](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverexception-class.md)  
  
## Remarks  
 This setNCharacterStream method is specified by the setNCharacterStream method in the java.sql.CallableStatement interface.  
  
 This method should be used for **NCHAR**, **NVARCHAR**, **NTEXT**, and **XML** data types.  
  
 If the length of the stream is different than what is specified in the *length* parameter, the JDBC driver throws an exception when the row is updated or inserted.  
  
 If the length of the stream is unknown, the *length* parameter may be set to -1 to indicate that the driver should accept the stream regardless of its length. With sqljdbc4.jar, we recommend that you use the JDBC 4.0 method [setNCharacterStream Method (java.lang.String, java.io.Reader)](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/setncharacterstream-method-java-lang-string-java-io-reader.md) when the application wants to update the column from a stream whose length is unknown.  
  
## See Also  
 [setNCharacterStream Method (SQLServerCallableStatement)](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/setncharacterstream-method-sqlservercallablestatement.md)   
 [SQLServerCallableStatement Members](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlservercallablestatement-members.md)