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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.
Informix® extensions and DataBlade® modules
These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
Database Extensions User's Guide
The Informix® Database Extensions User's Guide explains how to use the database extensions that come with HCL Informix: Large Object Locator, MQ messaging, binary data types, basic text search, node data type, and SQL packages.
Regex pattern matching
Regular expressions combine literal characters and metacharaters to define the search and replace criteria. You run the functions from the Informix® Regex extension to find matches to strings, replace strings, and split strings into substrings.
Regex Routines
You can use regex routines to search for patterns, manipulate text strings, and configure tracing.
regex_release function
The regex_release function provides the internal release version number of the regex extension.

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.
  - Database Extensions User's Guide
    The Informix® Database Extensions User's Guide explains how to use the database extensions that come with HCL Informix: Large Object Locator, MQ messaging, binary data types, basic text search, node data type, and SQL packages.
    - Large object management
      The Large Object Locator extension enables you to create a single consistent interface to large objects. It extends the concept of large objects to include data stored outside the database.
    - MQ Messaging
      WebSphere® MQ (WMQ) messaging products provide an infrastructure for distributed, asynchronous communication of data in a distributed, heterogeneous environment. The WMQ message queue allows you to easily exchange information across platforms.
    - Binary data types
      The binary18 and binaryvar data types allow you to store binary-encoded strings, which can be indexed for quick retrieval.
    - Basic Text Search
      You can perform basic text searching for words and phrases in a document repository stored in a column of a table.
    - Hierarchical data type
      The node data type helps to resolve a difficult relational database problem–transitive closure.
    - SQL Packages Extension
      The SQL packages extension provides SPL routines that you can use in an application that is compatible with database servers other than Informix®.
    - Regex pattern matching
      Regular expressions combine literal characters and metacharaters to define the search and replace criteria. You run the functions from the Informix® Regex extension to find matches to strings, replace strings, and split strings into substrings.
      - Requirements and Restrictions
        You must understand the following requirements and restrictions before you run regex pattern matching searches.
      - Metacharacters
        A metacharacter is a character that has a special meaning during pattern processing. You use metacharacters in regular expressions to define the search criteria and any text manipulations.
      - Regex Routines
        You can use regex routines to search for patterns, manipulate text strings, and configure tracing.
        regex_match function
        The regex_match function returns indicates whether a source string matches the regular expression.
        regex_replace function
        The regex_replace function replaces a string that matches a regular expression.
        regex_extract function
        The regex_extract function returns a list of strings that match a regular expression from the source string.
        regex_split function
        The regex_split function splits a string into substrings, using the match character as the delimiter.
        regex_set_trace procedure
        The regex_set_trace() procedure enables the output of debug messages.
        regex_release function
        The regex_release function provides the internal release version number of the regex extension.
  - Performing XML Publishing
    The Informix® XML User's Guide includes information about using built-in functions for XML publishing with Informix.
  - Spatiotemporal Search for Moving Objects User's Guide
    The describes how to program applications to search data from moving objects in HCL Informix® databases using the spatiotemporal search extension.
  - TimeSeries Data User's Guide
    The Informix® TimeSeries Data User's Guide contains information to assist you in using the TimeSeries extension with HCL Informix.
  - Web DataBlade Module
    Use the Web DataBlade® module to create web applications that incorporate data that is retrieved dynamically from the HCL Informix® database.
- 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.

regex_release function

The regex_release function provides the internal release version number of the regex extension.

Syntax

regex_release()
returns lvarchar

Parameters

None

Description

Run the regex_release function if Informix® Software Support asks for the internal release number.

Returns

The internal release version number.

An exception = An error occurred.

Example

execute function regex_release();
(expression) ifxregex release 1.00 (Build 184)
             Compiled on Sat Jul 2 08:25:49 CDT 2016 with:
                HCL Informix Dynamic Server Version 12.10.FC8
                glslib-6.00.UC8