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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: Syntax
The Informix® Guide to SQL: Syntax describes the syntax of the statements, data types, expressions, operators, and built-in functions of the Informix dialect of the SQL language.
SPL statements
These topics describe Stored Procedure Language (SPL) statements, which you use to write SPL routines. You can store these routines in the database as user-defined routines (UDRs).

SQL programming
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of the SQL language to develop applications for Informix database servers.
- Guide to SQL: Syntax
  The Informix® Guide to SQL: Syntax describes the syntax of the statements, data types, expressions, operators, and built-in functions of the Informix dialect of the SQL language.
  - Overview of SQL syntax
    These topics provide an overview about how to use the SQL statements, SPL statements, and syntax segments.
  - SQL statements
    This chapter describes the syntax and semantics of SQL statements that are recognized by Informix®.
  - SPL statements
    These topics describe Stored Procedure Language (SPL) statements, which you use to write SPL routines. You can store these routines in the database as user-defined routines (UDRs).
    - << Label >> statement
      Use the <<label>> statement of SPL to declare a statement label or a loop label.
    - CALL
    - CASE
      Use the CASE statement when program execution needs to take exactly one among multiple branches, depending on the value of an SPL variable or of a simple expression. The CASE statement is a logical alternative to the IF statement.
    - CONTINUE
    - DEFINE
    - EXIT
    - FOR
    - FOREACH
      Use the FOREACH statement to declare a direct cursor that can select and manipulate more than one row from a the result set of a query, or more than one element from a collection.
    - GOTO
    - IF
    - LET
    - LOOP
    - ON EXCEPTION
    - RAISE EXCEPTION
    - RETURN
    - SYSTEM
    - TRACE
    - WHILE
      Use the WHILE statement to establish a loop with variable end conditions.
  - Data types and expressions
    These topics describe the data types and expressions that Informix®supports.
  - Other syntax segments
    These topics describe syntax segments, which are language elements, such as database object names or optimizer directives, that appear as a subdiagram reference in the syntax diagrams of some SQL or SPL statements.
  - Built-In Routines
  - Appendixes
- 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.
- 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.

SPL statements

These topics describe Stored Procedure Language (SPL) statements, which you use to write SPL routines. You can store these routines in the database as user-defined routines (UDRs).

SPL routines (formerly referred to as stored procedures) are effective tools for controlling SQL activity. This chapter contains descriptions of the SPL statements. The description of each statement includes the following information:

A brief introduction that explains the effect of the statement
A syntax diagram that shows how to enter the statement correctly
A syntax table that explains each input parameter in the syntax diagram
Rules of usage, including examples that illustrate these rules

If a statement is composed of multiple clauses, the statement description provides information about each clause.

For an overview of the SPL language and task-oriented information about creating and using SPL routines, see the Informix® Guide to SQL: Tutorial.

For an overview with detailed examples of how to create and use prepared objects and Dynamic SQL in SPL routines, see this article: Dynamic SQL support in Informix® Dynamic Server Stored Procedure Language.

Informix® can create an SPL function with the CREATE PROCEDURE or CREATE PROCEDURE FROM statement, but requires the CREATE FUNCTION or CREATE FUNCTION FROM statement for external functions. It is recommended, however, that you use the CREATE FUNCTION or CREATE FUNCTION FROM statement to create new user-defined functions.