PREPARE ─┬─> statement-name ─┬─┬──────────────────────────────────────┬─┐
          └─> parameter ──────┘ └─> typebox (S)typebox (E)typebox (L)typebox (E)typebox (C)typebox (T) typebox (L)typebox (I)typebox (S)typebox (T) 
I
N
T
O descriptor-name ──┘ │
          ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
          └─> 
F
R
O
M ──┬─> statement-string ─┬─> typebox (;)
                     └─> parameter ────────┘

Additional information available:

INTOFROM

More Informationstatement nameparameter

 The PREPARE statement checks an SQL statement dynamically
 generated by a program for errors and assigns a name to that
 statement.  With the optional INTO clause, the PREPARE statement
 also writes information about any output parameters in a
 prepared SELECT statement to the SQLDA.

 PREPARE is a dynamic SQL statement and can be used only in
 precompiled programs or as part of SQL module language
 procedures.  It cannot be used in interactive SQL.

 The name you want to assign to the prepared version of the SQL
 statement specified in the FROM clause.  Depending on the type
 of SQL statement prepared, DESCRIBE, EXECUTE, and DECLARE CURSOR
 statements can refer to the statement name assigned in a PREPARE
 statement.

 You can use an integer parameter instead of coding the statement
 name.

 Specifying a parameter lets SQL supply identifiers to run
 programs at run time.  A single set of dynamic SQL statements
 (PREPARE, DESCRIBE, EXECUTE, Extended Dynamic DECLARE CURSOR)
 can handle any number of dynamically executed statements.
 Should you decide to use parameters, statements that refer to
 the prepared statement (DESCRIBE, EXECUTE, Extended Dynamic
 DECLARE CURSOR) must also use a parameter instead of the
 explicit statement name.

 Specifies that SQL writes information about the number and data
 type of output parameters in the statement string to the SQLDA.
 The SELECT LIST keyword clarifies the effect of the INTO clause
 and is entirely optional.  Using the SELECT LIST INTO clause in
 a PREPARE statement is an alternative to issuing a separate
 DESCRIBE...SELECT LIST statement.

 The descriptor name specifies a structure declared in the host
 language program as an SQLDA to which SQL writes output
 parameter information.  If the program uses the embedded SQL
 statement INCLUDE SQLDA, the name of the structure is simply
 SQLDA.  Programs can use multiple SQLDAs but must explicitly
 declare them with names other than SQLDA.

 Specifies the SQL statement to be prepared for dynamic
 execution.  You either specify the statement string directly in
 a character string literal enclosed in single quotation marks,
 or in a parameter that contains the statement string.