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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.
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.
Arguments
Arguments to UDRs in Remote Databases
UDRs are valid in cross-database and in cross-server distributed operations in most contexts where a UDR is valid in the local database, but every participating database must have the same logging mode.

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).
  - 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.
    - Arguments
      - Comparing Arguments to the Parameter List
      - Subset of Expressions Valid as an Argument
      - Arguments to UDRs in Remote Databases
        UDRs are valid in cross-database and in cross-server distributed operations in most contexts where a UDR is valid in the local database, but every participating database must have the same logging mode.
    - Collection-Derived Table
      A collection-derived table is a virtual table in which the values in the rows of the table are equivalent to elements of a collection. Use this segment where you see a reference to Collection-Derived Table in a syntax diagram. This syntax is an extension to the ANSI/ISO standard for SQL.
    - Database Name
    - Database Object Name
    - External Routine Reference
      Include the External Routine Reference clause when you write an external routine. This option is not available for SPL routines.
    - Identifier
      An identifier specifies the unqualified name of a database object, such as an access method, aggregate, alias, blobspace, cast, column, constraint, correlation, data type, index, operator class, partition, procedure, table, trigger, sequence, synonym, or view. Use the Identifier segment whenever you see a reference to an identifier in a syntax diagram.
    - Jar Name
      Use the Jar Name segment to specify the name of a jar ID. Use this segment whenever you see a reference to Jar Name in a syntax diagram.
    - Optimizer Directives
      The Optimizer Directives segment specifies keywords that you can use to partially or fully specify the query plan of the optimizer. Use this segment whenever you see a reference to Optimizer Directives in a syntax diagram.
    - Owner name
      The owner name specifies the owner of a database object. Use this segment whenever you see a reference to Owner Name in a syntax diagram.
    - Purpose Options
    - Return Clause
    - Routine modifier
      A routine modifier specifies characteristics of how a user-defined routine (UDR) behaves.
    - Routine Parameter List
    - Shared-Object Filename
      Use a shared-object filename to specify a pathname to an executable object file when you register or alter an external routine.
    - Specific Name
    - Statement Block
  - 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.

Arguments to UDRs in Remote Databases

UDRs are valid in cross-database and in cross-server distributed operations in most contexts where a UDR is valid in the local database, but every participating database must have the same logging mode.

Excluding BIGSERIAL, BYTE, SERIAL, SERIAL8, and TEXT, the data types that are valid as arguments to cross-server UDRs include the built-in SQL data types that are not opaque, as listed in Data Types in Distributed Queries, and these additional built-in opaque and DISTINCT data types:

BOOLEAN
LVARCHAR
DISTINCT of built-in types that are not opaque
DISTINCT of BOOLEAN
DISTINCT of LVARCHAR
DISTINCT of the DISTINCT types listed above.

These data types can be arguments to SPL, C, or Java™ language UDRs, if the UDRs are defined in all the participating databases. Any implicit or explicit casts defined over these data types must be duplicated across all the participating Informix® instances. The DISTINCT data types must have exactly the same data type hierarchy defined in all databases that participate in the distributed query.

The same data types are valid as arguments in calls to UDRs in other databases of the same Informix® instance, as well as arguments of the following additional types:

BLOB
CLOB
UDTs that you cast explicitly to built-in types

All the UDRs, UDTs, DISTINCT data types, DISTINCT type hierarchies, casts, and cast functions must be registered in all of the participating databases. For more information on DISTINCT types in distributed operations, see DISTINCT Types in Distributed Operations.