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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.
GLS User's Guide
The Informix® GLS User's Guide describes the Global Language Support (GLS) feature available in Informix products.
SQL features
These topics explain how the GLS feature affects the Informix® implementation of SQL.
Name database objects
You must declare names for new database objects (and in some cases, for storage objects, such as dbspaces) when you use data definition language (DDL) statements such as CREATE TABLE, CREATE INDEX, and RENAME COLUMN.
Valid characters in identifiers
In an SQL identifier, a letter can be any character in the alpha class that the locale defines. The alpha class lists all characters that are classified as alphabetic.

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.
- GLS User's Guide
  The Informix® GLS User's Guide describes the Global Language Support (GLS) feature available in Informix products.
  - GLS fundamentals
    The Global Language Support (GLS) feature lets Informix® products handle different languages, cultural conventions, and code sets for Asian, African, European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries.
  - GLS environment variables
    HCL Informix® products establish the client, database, and server locales with information from GLS-related environment variables and from data that is stored in the database.
  - SQL features
    These topics explain how the GLS feature affects the Informix® implementation of SQL.
    - Name database objects
      You must declare names for new database objects (and in some cases, for storage objects, such as dbspaces) when you use data definition language (DDL) statements such as CREATE TABLE, CREATE INDEX, and RENAME COLUMN.
      - Rules for identifiers
        An SQL identifier is a string of letters, digits, and underscores that represents the name of a database object such as a table, column, index, or view.
      - Non-ASCII characters in identifiers
        HCL Informix® database servers support non-ASCII (wide, 8-bit, and multibyte) characters from the code set of the database locale in most SQL identifiers, such as the names of columns, connections, constraints, databases, indexes, roles, SPL routines, sequences, synonyms, tables, triggers, and views.
      - Valid characters in identifiers
        In an SQL identifier, a letter can be any character in the alpha class that the locale defines. The alpha class lists all characters that are classified as alphabetic.
    - Character data types
      The locale affects the collation of built-in SQL character data types.
    - Handle character data
      The GLS feature allows you to put non-ASCII characters (including multibyte characters) in the elements of an SQL statement.
    - Locale-sensitive data types
      These topics explain how a locale affects the way that a database server handles the MONEY data type, extended data types, and smart large objects (CLOB and BLOB data types).
    - Data manipulation statements
      The choice of a locale can affect certain SQL data manipulation statements.
    - Data definition statements
      HCL Informix® supports a configuration parameter, SQL_LOGICAL_CHAR, whose setting can simplify the use of certain Data Definition Language (DDL) statements of SQL when you declare character data types in locales that support multibyte code sets.
  - Database server features
    These topics describe how the GLS feature affects the database server.
  - General SQL API features (ESQL/C)
    These topics explain how the GLS feature affects applications that you develop with the Informix® Client Software Development Kit.
  - Informix® ESQL/C features
    These topics explain how the GLS feature affects Informix® ESQL/C, an SQL application programming interface (API).
  - Appendix
    This section contains additional reference information.
- 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.

Valid characters in identifiers

In an SQL identifier, a letter can be any character in the alpha class that the locale defines. The alpha class lists all characters that are classified as alphabetic.

For more information about character classification, see The CTYPE category. In the default locale, the alpha class of the code set includes the ASCII characters in the ranges a to z and A to Z. SQL identifiers can use these ASCII characters wherever letter is valid in an SQL identifier.

In a nondefault locale, the alpha class of the locale might include non-ASCII characters, such as ideographic characters. When Informix® products use a nondefault locale, SQL identifiers can use non-ASCII characters wherever letter is valid in the syntax of an SQL identifier. A non-ASCII character is also valid for letter as long as this character is listed in the alpha class of the locale.

For the syntax and usage of identifiers in SQL statements, see the Identifier segment in the Informix® Guide to SQL: Syntax.