---
title: "updateNCharacterStream Method (int, java.io.Reader, 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: aeec0a56-038e-45b1-98c8-b1046ebd25db
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# updateNCharacterStream Method (int, java.io.Reader, long)
[!INCLUDE[Driver_JDBC_Download](../../../includes/driver_jdbc_download.md)]

  Updates the designated column with a character stream value, which will have the specified number of bytes.  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
public void updateNCharacterStream(int columnIndex,  
                                    java.io.Reader x,  
                                    long length)  
```  
  
#### Parameters  
 *columnIndex*  
  
 An **int** that indicates the column index.  
  
 *x*  
  
 A Reader object.  
  
 *length*  
  
 The length of the stream.  
  
## Exceptions  
 [SQLServerException](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverexception-class.md)  
  
## Remarks  
 This updateNCharacterStream method is specified by the updateNCharacterStream method in the java.sql.ResultSet interface.  
  
 This method passes Unicode characters from a Reader object to selected **nchar**, **nvarchar(max)**, **ntext**, and **xml** columns. Using this method on other data type columns will throw an exception.  
  
 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 [updateNCharacterStream Method (int, java.io.Reader)](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/updatencharacterstream-method-int-java-io-reader.md) when the application wants to update the column from a stream whose length is unknown.  
  
## See Also  
 [updateNCharacterStream Method (SQLServerResultSet)](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/updatencharacterstream-method-sqlserverresultset.md)   
 [SQLServerResultSet Members](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverresultset-members.md)   
 [SQLServerResultSet Class](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverresultset-class.md)