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Client APIs and tools
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of client APIs to develop applications for Informix database servers.
ESQL/C Guide
The Informix® ESQL/C Programmer's Manual explains how to use Informix ESQL/C, the Informix implementation of Embedded Structured Query Language (SQL) for C (ESQL/C), to create client applications with database-management capabilities.
What is Informix® ESQL/C?
Numeric data types
The integer data types
The integer host variable types

Client APIs and tools
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of client APIs to develop applications for Informix database servers.
- Change Data Capture API Programmer's Guide
  The Informix® Change Data Capture API Programmer's Guide describes how to program applications to process changed data from HCL Informix databases using the Informix Change Data Capture API.
- Embedded SQLJ for HCL Informix®
  The Informix® Embedded SQLJ User's Guide contains information about using Informix Embedded SQLJ.
- ESQL/C Guide
  The Informix® ESQL/C Programmer's Manual explains how to use Informix ESQL/C, the Informix implementation of Embedded Structured Query Language (SQL) for C (ESQL/C), to create client applications with database-management capabilities.
  - What is Informix® ESQL/C?
    - Informix® ESQL/C programming
    - Compile programs
    - Informix® ESQL/C data types
      These topics contain information about the correspondence between SQL and C data types and how to handle data types in the Informix® ESQL/C program.
    - Character and string data types
      These topics explain how to use character data types in the Informix® ESQL/C program.
    - Numeric data types
      - The integer data types
        The integer host variable types
        The INT8 and SERIAL8 SQL data types
        Informix® ESQL/C supports the SQL INT8 and SERIAL8 data types with the int8 data type. The int8 data type is a machine-independent method that represents numbers in the range -(2⁶³ -1) to 2⁶³-1.
        The int8 data type
        Use the Informix® ESQL/C int8 data type to declare host variables for database values of type INT8 and SERIAL8.
        The int8 library functions
      - The BOOLEAN data type
        Informix® ESQL/C uses the boolean data type to support the SQL BOOLEAN data type.
      - The decimal data type
        Informix® ESQL/C supports the SQL DECIMAL and MONEY data types with the decimal data type. The decimal data type is a machine-independent method that represents numbers of up to 32 significant digits, with valid values in the range 10^-129 - 10⁺¹²⁵.
      - The floating-point data types
      - Format numeric strings
    - Time data types
      These topics explain how to use date, datetime, and interval data types in the Informix® ESQL/C program.
    - Simple large objects
      A simple large object is a large object that is stored in a blobspace on disk and is not recoverable.
    - Smart large objects
      A smart large object is a data type that stores large, non-relational data objects such as images, sound clips, documents, graphics, maps and other large objects, and allows you to perform read, write, and seek operations on those objects.
    - Complex data types
      These topics explain how to use collection and row data types in the Informix® ESQL/C program.
    - Opaque data types
      These topics explain how to use the lvarchar, fixed binary, and var binary data types to access an opaque data type from the Informix® ESQL/C program. Use these Informix ESQL/C data types to represent an opaque data type as it is transferred to and from Informix.
  - Database server communication
  - Dynamic SQL
  - Appendixes
    This section contains additional reference information.
- GLS User's Guide
  The Informix® GLS User's Guide describes the Global Language Support (GLS) feature available in Informix products.
- API
  The Informix® GLS API Programmer's Guide describes the global language support (GLS) application programming interface (API) available in Informix ESQL/C and HCL Informix DataBlade® modules.
- Informix® Object Interface for C++ Guide
  The Informix® Object Interface for C++ Programmer's Guide describes how to develop HCL Informix client applications by using the object-oriented C++ programming language.
- Informix® ODBC Driver Guide
  The Informix® ODBC Driver Programmer's Manual serves as a user guide and reference for Informix ODBC Driver, which is the Informix implementation of the Microsoft™ Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface, Version 3.0.
- .NET provider options
  The Data Server Provider for .NET DB2® provider option is the preferred Informix® provider for developing new applications.
- Informix® JDBC Driver Guide
  The Informix® JDBC Driver Programmer's Guide describes how to install, load, and use Informix JDBC Driver to connect to the Informix database from within a Java™ application or applet.
- Informix International Language Supplement (ILS) User Guide
  These topics include information about the translated user interface files for Informix® UNIX™ products, locales, and code set conversion tables
- Informix® OLE DB Provider Guide
  The Informix® OLE DB Provider Programmer's Guide describes the software requirements for using Informix OLE DB Provider, show how to install and configure the provider for your use, and explain how to use Informix OLE DB Provider to enable client applications, such as ActiveX Data Object (ADO) applications and web pages, to access data on the Informix server.

The integer host variable types

The following data types are provided for specifying integer host variables of specific lengths.

Data type: Length
int1: One-byte integer
int2: Two-byte integer
int4: Four-byte integer
mint: Native integer data type for the machine
mlong: Native long integer data type for the machine, the size of which is equal to that of the pointer for the machine. The mlong data type is mapped to the long data type on Windows™ 32-bit and UNIX™ and Linux™ 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. It is mapped to the __int64 data type on Windows™ 64-bit platforms.
MSHORT: Native short integer data type for the machine
MCHAR: Native char data type for the machine
Restriction: The preceding integer data types are reserved. Your programs must not use typedef or $typedef statements to define these data types.

The integer host variable data types are defined in the ifxtypes.h file, which is automatically included in your program when you compile it with the esql script.

Important: Many of the Informix® ESQL/C library functions have been changed to declare the Informix® integer data types rather than the machine-specific types such as int, short, and long. It is recommended that you use the Informix® integer types when you call Informix® ESQL/C library functions.