BUG: Error 22018 "Invalid character value for cast specification" with SQL Server 6.5

When an ODBC API function such as SQLExecute calls a stored procedure that has a call to sp_getbindtoken or that fires a trigger that has a call to sp_getbindtoken, you may see the following error message: SQLExecute returns SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO but reports the above error.

Remove the call to the sp_getbindtoken system stored procedure, or eliminate the output parameters.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server 6.5.

This error does not occur with SQL Server 7.0 or SQL Server 2000.

This error occurs only with SQL Server 6.5, including Service Packs 1 through 5a. This error does not occur when the stored procedure is called from isql or has no output parameters.

When called from an ODBC application, the stored procedure execution returns a return value indicating success, but it generates this error and does not pass back the output parameters. The ODBC API call SQLExecute returns SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO and the above error message.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Create a table, a stored procedure, and a trigger in the Pubs database using the following SQL script:

   create table emp_table (emp_id int primary key,
                           emp_name varchar(80) not null )
   go
   
   create trigger TR_emp_table_ins on emp_table
   for insert as
   begin
       declare @token_value varchar(255)
       exec master..sp_getbindtoken @token_value output
   end
   go
   
   create procedure test_proc_one
       @return_code int output,
       @error_code int output
   as
   begin
       declare @token_value varchar(255)
       declare @max_emp_id int
   
       select @return_code = 13
       begin tran
       select @max_emp_id = max(emp_id) from emp_table
   
       if @max_emp_id is null
       begin
           select @max_emp_id = 1
       end
       else
       begin
           select @max_emp_id = @max_emp_id + 1
       end
   
       insert into emp_table values(@max_emp_id, 'John Doe')
   
       if @@error <> 0
       begin
           raiserror('Insert into employee_list failed for emp_id %d', 16, -1, @max_emp_id)
           rollback tran
           select @return_code = -100
           select @error_code = -200
       end
       else
       begin
           commit tran
           select @return_code = 0
           select @error_code = 2
       end
   
   end /* procedure test_proc_one */ 
   go
   					

2. Run the following SQL script inside isql. It should be successful and insert a row into the test table, emp_table:

   declare @ret_value int
   declare @err_code int
   declare @string varchar(255)
   
   select @ret_value = 10
   select @err_code = 20
   
   exec test_proc_one @ret_value output, @err_code output
   
   select @string = 'test_proc_one set ret_value to ' + rtrim(convert(varchar(16), @ret_value))
                    + ' and err_code to ' + rtrim(convert(varchar(16), @err_code))
   
   print @string
   
   select * from emp_table
   					

3. Call the same stored procedure from an ODBC application using the following sample code. The same error can also be reproduced using the ODBC Test tool by calling the shown functions in the same sequence.

   	SQLRETURN rc;
   	SQLCHAR*  SQLStr = "{call test_proc_one(?,?)}";
      	SQLINTEGER nReturnCode = SQL_NTS;
   	SQLINTEGER nErrorCode = SQL_NTS;
   	SQLINTEGER cbReturnCode = SQL_NTS;
   	SQLINTEGER cbErrorCode = SQL_NTS;
   
   	/* Prepare the statement, bind parameters, and execute the statement */ 
   	rc = SQLPrepare(hStmt, SQLStr, SQL_NTS);
   	rc = SQLBindParameter(hStmt, 1, SQL_PARAM_OUTPUT, SQL_C_LONG, SQL_INTEGER, 
   		                    0, 0, &nReturnCode, 0, &cbReturnCode);
   	rc = SQLBindParameter(hStmt, 2, SQL_PARAM_OUTPUT, SQL_C_LONG, SQL_INTEGER,
   		                    0, 0, &nErrorCode, 0, &cbErrorCode);
   	rc = SQLExecute(hStmt);
   
   	do {
   	   rc = SQLMoreResults(hStmt);
   	} while (rc != SQL_NO_DATA);
   					

4. The above step results in the SQL state 22018 and "Invalid character value for cast specification" message with a return code of SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO. Following is a sample ODBC trace log:

   mssamp          163:166	EXIT  SQLExecute  with return code 1 (SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO)
   		HSTMT               0x00cc2158
   
   		DIAG [22018] [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver]Invalid character value for cast specification (0)