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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.
Database server communication
Working with the database server
These topics explain how the Informix® ESQL/C program can interact with a database server.
Interact with the database server

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?
  - Database server communication
    - Exception handling
    - Working with the database server
      These topics explain how the Informix® ESQL/C program can interact with a database server.
      - The client-server architecture of ESQL/C applications
      - The client-server connection
        The Informix® ESQL/C application can establish a connection to any valid database environment. A database environment can be a database, a database server, or a database and a database server.
      - Interact with the database server
        Determine features of the database server
        Switch between multiple database connections
        Identify an explicit connection
        From within the Informix® ESQL/C application, you can obtain the name of the database server and the name of the explicit connection with the GET DIAGNOSTICS statement.
        Obtain available databases
        Check the status of the database server
        Establishing a separate database connection for the child process
        Interrupt an SQL request
        To interrupt the database server, you can use the sqlbreak() library function.
        Error checking during data transfer
        Terminate a connection
      - Optimized message transfers
        Informix® ESQL/C provides a feature called optimized message transfers, which allow you to minimize message transfers with the database server for most Informix ESQL/C statements.
      - Database server control functions
      - The timeout program
        The timeout program demonstrates how to set up a timeout interval.
      - ESQL/C connection library functions in a Windows™ environment
    - Informix® libraries
      These topics describe how to link the static, shared, and thread-safe HCL Informix® general libraries with your Informix ESQL/C application.
  - 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.

Interact with the database server

Within your Informix® ESQL/C program, you can interact with the database server in the following ways:

Start a new database server process. This process does not exist when an application begins execution.
Switch between multiple connections. An application can establish several connections.
Identify an explicit connection. An application can obtain the name of the database server and connection.
Identify the databases that the database server of the current connection can access.
Check on the status of the database server process. For some actions the database server must be busy, for others the database server must be idle.
Detaching from the current connection. An application must detach a child process from the current connection.
Interrupt the database server process. If an SQL request executes for a long time, the application can interrupt it.
Terminate the database server process. The application can close an unused connection to free resources.