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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
DataBlade® module components

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®.
        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
        Aggregates
        An aggregate is a set of functions that returns information about a set of query results.
        Data types
        The database server uses data types to determine how to store and retrieve different kinds of data.
        Routines
        A routine is a stored collection of programming statements that allows you to manipulate data.
        Casts
        A cast is a rule that converts one data type into another.
        Interfaces
        An interface is a way to reference another DataBlade® module within your DataBlade module.
        Errors
        You can define error or trace messages for your DataBlade® module.
        Unit tests
        BladeSmith generates unit tests for your opaque data type support routines, user-defined routines, and cast support functions.
        Functional tests
        BladeSmith generates functional tests for your opaque data type support routines, user-defined routines, and cast support functions.
        Imported SQL files
        You can include custom SQL statements in your DataBlade® module to perform tasks such as creating and dropping user-defined access methods, support tables, or SPL routines.
        Imported client files
        After your customers install a DataBlade® module on a database server, they might download any client files included in your DataBlade module to client computers.
      - 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.

DataBlade® module components

You can include the following objects in the DataBlade® module project you create with the DataBlade® Developers Kit:

Aggregates: Perform user-defined computations on data
Data types: Characterize data to the database server (either built-in data types or new data types)
Routines: Operate on or return data
Casts: Convert data from one type to another
Interfaces: Create dependencies between DataBlade® modules
Errors: Create messages raised by user-defined routines that appear as standard database server messages
Unit tests: Test your database objects during the coding and debugging cycle
Functional tests: Validate your completed DataBlade® module routines
Imported SQL files: Include custom SQL statements to create tables, user-defined access methods, and other database objects in your DataBlade® module
Imported client files: Include client components, such as query tools and ActiveX value objects, in your DataBlade® module package

The DataBlade® Developers Kit generates the SQL for each of the objects that you define or include.

Important : Not all database objects and options described in this section are available with all versions of HCL Informix®. For more information, see the Informix® DataBlade® Developers Kit User's Guide.