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Extending Informix®
Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
Creating extensions
You can create user-defined data types, routines, access methods, and other database objects to suit your needs. You can use application programming interfaces to write user-defined routines and applications that access data in Informix® databases.
DataBlade® API Function Reference
The Informix® DataBlade® API Function Reference describes the DataBlade API functions and the subset of Informix ESQL/C functions that the DataBlade API supports.
Categories of DataBlade® API functions
This section summarizes by categories the functions that the DataBlade® API provides. It divides functions that are valid within DataBlade API modules into several functional categories and lists the functions within each category.
The DataBlade® API function library
This section lists the functions in the DataBlade® API function library by categories.
Database server version information
The DataBlade® API provides functions to return information about the version of the database server.

Extending Informix®
Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
- Informix® extensions and DataBlade® modules
  These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
- Creating extensions
  You can create user-defined data types, routines, access methods, and other database objects to suit your needs. You can use application programming interfaces to write user-defined routines and applications that access data in Informix® databases.
  - DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide
    The Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide describes information about the DataBlade API, the C-language application programming interface (API) provided with HCL Informix.
  - DataBlade® API Function Reference
    The Informix® DataBlade® API Function Reference describes the DataBlade API functions and the subset of Informix ESQL/C functions that the DataBlade API supports.
    - Categories of DataBlade® API functions
      This section summarizes by categories the functions that the DataBlade® API provides. It divides functions that are valid within DataBlade API modules into several functional categories and lists the functions within each category.
      - The DataBlade® API function library
        This section lists the functions in the DataBlade® API function library by categories.
        Data handling
        The DataBlade® API provides categories of functions for handling data.
        Session, thread, and transaction management
        The DataBlade® API provides categories of functions for managing sessions, threads, and transactions.
        SQL statement processing
        The DataBlade® API provides the multiple categories of functions for processing SQL statements.
        User-defined routine execution
        The DataBlade® API provides routines for executing user-defined routines (UDRs).
        Selectivity and cost functions
        The DataBlade® API provides routines for accessing the MI_FUNCARG data type, which is the data type of all parameters of selectivity and cost functions.
        Memory management
        The DataBlade® API provides functions for managing memory.
        Exception handling
        The DataBlade® API provides routines for handling exceptions.
        Smart-large-object interface
        The DataBlade® API provides routines for handling smart large objects.
        Input and output operations
        The DataBlade® API provides functions to perform input and output (I/O) operations.
        Tracing (Server)
        The DataBlade® API provides functions for tracing within a user-defined routine.
        Control of the Virtual-Processor environment (Server)
        The DataBlade® API provides functions for controlling the Virtual-Processor (VP) environment within a user-defined routine (UDR).
        Database management (Client)
        The DataBlade® API provides functions for managing databases in a client LIBMI application.
        Miscellaneous information
        The DataBlade® API provides functions to return miscellaneous information.
        Database server version information
        The DataBlade® API provides functions to return information about the version of the database server.
      - The ESQL/C function library
        The Informix® ESQL/C function library provides functions for data conversion of data types.
    - Function descriptions
      This section gives comprehensive reference information about the functions that are valid within DataBlade® API modules. It lists the function descriptions in alphabetical order, with syntax, usage information, and return values for the functions.
  - DataBlade® Developers Kit
    The DataBlade® Developers Kit (DBDK) guides contain information about the tools you can use to develop and package DataBlade modules, which extend the functionality of HCL Informix® databases.
  - J/Foundation Developer's Guide
    The J/Foundation Developer's Guide describes how to write user-defined routines (UDRs) in the Java™ programming language for Informix®.
  - R-Tree Index User's Guide
    The Informix® R-Tree Index User's Guide describes the HCL Informix R-tree secondary access method and how to access and use its components.
  - User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide
    The Informix® User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide describes how to define new data types and enable user-defined routines (UDRs) to extend HCL Informix.
  - Virtual-Table Interface Guide
    The Informix® Virtual-Table Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a primary access method with the Virtual-Table Interface (VTI) so that users have a single SQL interface to HCL Informix tables and to data that does not conform to the storage scheme of HCL Informix.
  - Virtual-Index Interface Guide
    The Informix® Virtual-Index Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a secondary access method with the Virtual-Index Interface (VII) to extend the built-in indexing schemes of HCL Informix typically with a DataBlade® module.

Database server version information

The DataBlade® API provides functions to return information about the version of the database server.

Table 1. DataBlade® API functions that return information about the database server version
Function category	DataBlade® API function
Version	mi_server_library_version() mi_version_comparison()	mi_library_version()