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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® 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.
DataBlade® Module Development Overview
The HCL Informix® DataBlade® module overview serves as an overview of the HCL Informix DataBlade module development process.
DataBlade® module concepts
What are DataBlade® modules?
A DataBlade module is a software package that extends the functionality of HCL Informix®.
Why use the DataBlade® Developers Kit?
Although you can create a DataBlade® module manually, you can reduce development time considerably if you use the DataBlade Developers Kit.

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.
  - 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.
    - DataBlade® Module Development Overview
      The HCL Informix® DataBlade® module overview serves as an overview of the HCL Informix DataBlade module development process.
      - DataBlade® module concepts
        What are DataBlade® modules?
        A DataBlade module is a software package that extends the functionality of HCL Informix®.
        Why extend your Informix® database server?
        The primary advantages of using the extensibility of HCL Informix® over using traditional relational databases and applications are better performance, simpler applications, transaction control, and scalability.
        Why create a DataBlade® module?
        You can extend your HCL Informix® database server without creating a DataBlade® module by executing the SQL statements to create each object individually. However, the advantages of packaging extended database objects in a DataBlade module are control and code reuse.
        Why use the DataBlade® Developers Kit?
        Although you can create a DataBlade® module manually, you can reduce development time considerably if you use the DataBlade Developers Kit.
        DataBlade® modules and the database server
        This section describes the overall architecture of the HCL Informix® database server, how DataBlade® modules affect database server processes, and the application programming interfaces you can use in your DataBlade modules and client applications.
        DataBlade® module components
      - Build a DataBlade® module
      - Appendixes
        This section contains additional reference information.
    - DataBlade® Developers Kit User's Guide
      The HCL Informix® DataBlade® Developers Kit User's Guide describes how to use tools to develop and package DataBlade modules.
    - DBDK InfoShelf
      The DataBlade® Developers Kit InfoShelf is designed to help you work with BladeSmith.
  - 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.

Why use the DataBlade® Developers Kit?

Although you can create a DataBlade® module manually, you can reduce development time considerably if you use the DataBlade® Developers Kit.

Three graphical user interfaces are provided for DataBlade® module development:

BladeSmith: Creates your DataBlade® module
BladePack: Packages your DataBlade® module
BladeManager: Makes your DataBlade® module available in a database

In addition, the DataBlade® Developers Kit provides the following tools for debugging your DataBlade® module on Windows™:

DBDK Visual C++ Add-In: Debugs your DataBlade® module within Microsoft™ Visual C++
IfxQuery: Executes SQL debugging tests from within Microsoft™ Visual C++

The DataBlade® Developers Kit reduces development time because it:

uses wizards to guide you through complex SQL object creation options
generates the following types of files:
- Complete SQL definitions for your database objects
- Complete code, or code entry points for C, C++, and Java™ source code
- Unit tests for debugging user-defined routines, opaque data type support routines, and cast support functions
- Functional tests for validating user-defined routines, opaque data type support routines, and cast support functions
automates creating an interactive installation program for UNIX™ and Windows™ operating systems

The source code generated by the DataBlade® Developers Kit follows good coding practices for your HCL Informix® database server and ensures consistency among your user-defined routines.