informix - SQL IF/CONDITIONAL Querty -

is possible structure query display static value row based on column?

eg.

in informix, syscolumns type returned integer. have print out table type string rather integer.

for example, when run simple query system tables

select * syscolumns tabid < 100 

i get

    colname   tabid  colno  coltype collength ------------------------------------------------     tabname     1      1      13       128 

where coltype = 13 corresponds varchar

so original query give me

colname    coltype col1       0 col2       1 ... 

but want returned as

colname     coltype col1       char col2       smallint ...  

is such thing possible in single query?

select column,         case          when coltype = 0 'char'          when coltype = 1 'smallint'          else cast(coltype varchar)        end coltype mytable 

so, example, table:

  column     |    coltype -------------+--------------    col1      |       0    col2      |       1    col3      |       2 

the result be:

  column     |    coltype -------------+--------------    col1      |     char    col2      |   smallint    col3      |      2 

however, if coltype maps id or similar in table, make more sense join table, like:

select mytable.column, secondtable.columnname mytable join secondtable on mytable.coltype = secondtable.coltype