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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.
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.
Client functions
These topics describe the Informix® ODBC Driver client functions. Use these functions to access and manipulate smart large objects and rows and collections.
Functions for rows and collections
This section describes each client function that Informix® ODBC Driver provides for rows and collections.
The ifx_rc_describe() function
The ifx_rc_describe() function returns descriptive information about the data type for a row or collection or for an element that is in a row or collection.

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.
- 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.
  - Overview of HCL Informix® ODBC Driver
    These topics introduce the Informix® ODBC Driver and describe its advantages and architecture. The topics also describe conformance, isolation and lock levels, libraries, and environment variables.
  - Configure data sources
    These topics explain how to configure a data source (DSN) on UNIX™ and Windows™ for Informix® ODBC Driver.
  - Data types
    These topics contain information about the data types that are supported by Informix® ODBC Driver.
  - Smart large objects
    These topics describe how to store, create, and access a smart large object; how to transfer smart-large-object data; how to retrieve the status of a smart large object; and how to read or write a smart large object to or from a file.
  - Rows and collections
    Rows and collections are composite values that consist of one or more elements.
  - Client functions
    These topics describe the Informix® ODBC Driver client functions. Use these functions to access and manipulate smart large objects and rows and collections.
    - Call a client function
      This section describes the syntax of client functions, their input/output arguments, return values, and SQL_BIGINT.
    - Functions for smart large objects
      This section describes each client function that the driver provides for smart large objects.
    - Functions for rows and collections
      This section describes each client function that Informix® ODBC Driver provides for rows and collections.
      - The ifx_rc_count() function
        The ifx_rc_count() function returns the number of elements or fields that are in a row or collection.
      - The ifx_rc_create() function
      - The ifx_rc_delete() function
        The ifx_rc_delete() function deletes an element from a collection.
      - The ifx_rc_describe() function
        The ifx_rc_describe() function returns descriptive information about the data type for a row or collection or for an element that is in a row or collection.
      - The ifx_rc_fetch() function
        The ifx_rc_fetch() function retrieves the value of an element that is in a row or collection.
      - The ifx_rc_free() function
        The ifx_rc_free() function frees a row or collection handle.
      - The ifx_rc_insert() function
        The ifx_rc_insert() function inserts a new element into a collection.
      - The ifx_rc_isnull() function
        The ifx_rc_isnull() function returns a value that indicates whether a row or collection is null.
      - The ifx_rc_setnull() function
        The ifx_rc_setnull() function sets a row or collection to null.
      - The ifx_rc_typespec() function
        The ifx_rc_typespec() function returns the type specification for a row or collection.
      - The ifx_rc_update() function
        The ifx_rc_update() function updates the value for an element that is in a row or collection.
  - Application tracking in ODBC
    Set the CLIENT_LABEL environment variable in CSDK 4.50.xC4 onwards to assign a character string to ODBC client session and identify that character string on the database server. You can use this variable to distinguish one database session from the other.
  - Improve application performance
    These topics suggest ways to improve performance of Informix® ODBC Driver applications.
  - Error messages
    These topics describe the Informix® ODBC Driver error messages.
  - Unicode
    These topics provide a brief overview of the Unicode standard and shows how it is used within ODBC applications.
  - ODBC Smart trigger
- .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 ifx_rc_describe() function

The ifx_rc_describe() function returns descriptive information about the data type for a row or collection or for an element that is in a row or collection.

Syntax

ifx_rc_describe(rchandle, fieldnum, fieldname, typecode, 
  columnsize, decdigits, nullable, typename, typeowner)

Arguments

The function accepts the following arguments.


Argument	Type	Use	Description
rchandle	HINFX_RC	Input	Handle for a row or collection buffer
fieldnum	SQL_SMALLINT	Input	Field number. If this value is 0, the function returns information for the entire row or collection. For a collection, any value other than 0 causes the function to return information for the elements that are in the collection. For a row, this value specifies the element for which the function returns information.
fieldname	SQL_CHAR	Output	Field name. The function returns this value only for an element that is in a row.
typecode	SQL_SMALLINT	Output	Informix® ODBC Driver SQL data type of the element
columnsize	SQL_INTEGER	Output	Column size. For a character element, this value is the size of the column, in bytes. For a numeric element, this value is the precision. For other data types, the function does not return this value.
decdigits	SQL_SMALLINT	Output	Decimal digits. For a numeric element, this value is the number of digits after the decimal point. For other data types, the function does not return this value.
nullable	SQL_SMALLINT	Output	Null indicator. The possible values are: SQL_NO_NULLS SQL_NULLABLE
typename	SQL_CHAR	Output	Type name. For a named row, this value is the name of the row. For collections and unnamed rows, the function does not return this value.
typeowner	SQL_CHAR	Output	Type owner. This value is the name of the owner of the data type. This name can be up to 18 characters long.

Usage

The ifx_rc_describe() function returns information about the data type for a row or collection or for an element that is in a row or collection. For elements that are in a collection, this information is the same for all elements that are in the collection. This function does not change the seek position.