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SQL programming
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of the SQL language to develop applications for Informix database servers.
Guide to SQL: Reference
The Informix® Guide to SQL: Reference contains the reference information for the system catalog tables, data types, and environment variables of the HCL Informix dialect of the SQL language, as implemented in HCL Informix. These topics also include information about the stores_demo, sales_demo, and superstore_demo databases that are included with HCL Informix.
Appendixes
The superstores_demo database
The superstores_demo database illustrates an object-relational schema.

SQL programming
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of the SQL language to develop applications for Informix database servers.
- Guide to SQL: Syntax
- Guide to SQL: Reference
  The Informix® Guide to SQL: Reference contains the reference information for the system catalog tables, data types, and environment variables of the HCL Informix dialect of the SQL language, as implemented in HCL Informix. These topics also include information about the stores_demo, sales_demo, and superstore_demo databases that are included with HCL Informix.
  - System catalog tables
    The system catalog consists of tables and views that describe the structure of the database. Sometimes called the data dictionary, these table objects contain everything that the database knows about itself. Each system catalog table contains information about specific elements in the database. Each database has its own system catalog.
  - Data types
    Every column in a table in a database is assigned a data type. The data type precisely defines the kinds of values that you can store in that column.
  - Environment variables
    Various environment variables affect the functionality of your HCL Informix® products. You can set environment variables that identify your terminal, specify the location of your software and define other parameters.
  - Appendixes
    - The stores_demo Database
      The stores_demo database contains a set of tables that describe an imaginary business and many of the examples in the HCL Informix® documentation are based on this database.
    - The superstores_demo database
      The superstores_demo database illustrates an object-relational schema.
      - Structure of the superstores_demo Tables
        Although many of the tables in the superstores_demo database have the same name as stores_demo tables, they are different.
      - User-defined routines and extended data types
        The superstores_demo database uses user-defined routines (UDRs) and extended data types.
      - Table Hierarchies
- Guide to SQL: Tutorial
  The Informix® Guide to SQL: Tutorial shows how to use basic and advanced structured query language (SQL) to access and manipulate the data in your databases. It discusses the data manipulation language (DML) statements as well as triggers and stored procedure language (SPL) routines, which DML statements often use.

The superstores_demo database

The superstores_demo database illustrates an object-relational schema.

SQL files and user-defined routines (UDRs) that are provided with DB-Access let you derive the superstores_demo object-relational database.

The superstores_demo database uses the default locale and is not ANSI-compliant.

For information about how to create and populate the demonstration databases, including relevant SQL files, see the Informix® DB-Access User's Guide. For conceptual information about demonstration databases, see the Informix® Database Design and Implementation Guide.