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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.
Dynamic SQL
A system-descriptor area
A system-descriptor area is a dynamic-management structure that can hold data that a prepared statement either returns from or sends to the database server. A system-descriptor area conforms to X/Open standards.
The dyn_sql program

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
  - Dynamic SQL
    - Using dynamic SQL
    - Determine SQL statements
      If you do not know until run time what SQL statement to execute, you can dynamically determine that statement with the DESCRIBE statement and use a dynamic-management structure to hold any values that the statement sends to or receives from the database server.
    - A system-descriptor area
      A system-descriptor area is a dynamic-management structure that can hold data that a prepared statement either returns from or sends to the database server. A system-descriptor area conforms to X/Open standards.
      - Manage a system-descriptor area
      - Using a system-descriptor area
        Use a system-descriptor area to execute SQL statements that contain unknown values.
      - Handling an unknown select list
      - Handling unknown return values
      - Handling an unknown column list
      - Handling a parameterized SELECT statement
      - Handling a parameterized user-defined routine
      - Handling a parameterized UPDATE or DELETE statement
      - The dyn_sql program
        Compile the program
        Guide to the dyn_sql.ec file
    - An sqlda structure
      An sqlda structure is a dynamic-management structure that can hold data that is either returned from or sent to the database server by a prepared statement. It is a C structure defined in the sqlda.h header file.
  - 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 dyn_sql program

The dyn_sql.ec program is the Informix® ESQL/C demonstration program that uses dynamic SQL. The program prompts the user to enter a SELECT statement for the stores7 demonstration database and then uses a system-descriptor area to execute the SELECT dynamically.

By default, the program opens the stores7 database. If the demonstration database was given a name other than stores7, however, you can specify the database name on the command line. The following command runs the dyn_sql executable on the mystores7 database:

dyn_sql mystores7