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Extending Informix®
Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
Informix® extensions and DataBlade® modules
These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
TimeSeries Data User's Guide
The Informix® TimeSeries Data User's Guide contains information to assist you in using the TimeSeries extension with HCL Informix.
Create and manage a time series through SQL
Before you can load time series data into the database, you must configure database objects specific to your time series. You can manage data storage and remove data as necessary. You can run SQL statements to create and manage time series.
Create a time series
You can use several methods to create an instance of a time series, depending on whether there is existing data to load and, if so, the format of that data.
Creating a time series with metadata
You can create an empty or populated time series that also contains user-defined metadata. A time series column includes a header that holds information about the time series and can also contain user-defined metadata.

Extending Informix®
Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
- Informix® extensions and DataBlade® modules
  These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
  - Database Extensions User's Guide
    The Informix® Database Extensions User's Guide explains how to use the database extensions that come with HCL Informix: Large Object Locator, MQ messaging, binary data types, basic text search, node data type, and SQL packages.
  - Performing XML Publishing
    The Informix® XML User's Guide includes information about using built-in functions for XML publishing with Informix.
  - Spatiotemporal Search for Moving Objects User's Guide
    The describes how to program applications to search data from moving objects in HCL Informix® databases using the spatiotemporal search extension.
  - TimeSeries Data User's Guide
    The Informix® TimeSeries Data User's Guide contains information to assist you in using the TimeSeries extension with HCL Informix.
    - Informix® TimeSeries solution
      Database administrators and applications developers use the Informix® TimeSeries solution to store and analyze time series data.
    - Data types and system tables
      Specialized data types and system tables handle time series data.
    - Create and manage a time series through SQL
      Before you can load time series data into the database, you must configure database objects specific to your time series. You can manage data storage and remove data as necessary. You can run SQL statements to create and manage time series.
      - Example for regular data: Create and load a regular time series
        This example shows how to create a TimeSeries data type, create a time series table, create a regular time series by running the TSCreate function, and load data into the time series through the Informix® TimeSeries Plug-in for Data Studio.
      - Example for hertz data: Create and load a hertz time series
        This example shows how to create, load, and query a time series that stores hertz data.
      - Example for compressible data: Create and load a compressed time series
        This example shows how to create, load, and query a time series that stores compressed numeric data.
      - Example for JSON data: Create and load a time series with JSON documents
        These examples show how to create, load, and query a time series that stores JSON data.
      - Defining a calendar
        A time series definition must include a calendar. A calendar includes a calendar pattern, which can be defined separately or within the calendar definition.You can create a calendar or choose a predefined calendar.
      - Create a time series column
      - Creating containers
        Containers are created automatically when they are needed, in the same dbspaces in which the table is stored. If you want to store your time series data in other dbspaces, you can create containers. You can move containers between container pools. You must create containers if you want to replicate time series data with Enterprise Replication or create rolling window containers.
      - Create a time series
        You can use several methods to create an instance of a time series, depending on whether there is existing data to load and, if so, the format of that data.
        Creating a time series with metadata
        You can create an empty or populated time series that also contains user-defined metadata. A time series column includes a header that holds information about the time series and can also contain user-defined metadata.
        Time series input string
        You can use the time series input string to create a time series with the INSERT statement. You can also use the time series input string in other routines, such as the TSCreateVirtualTab procedure and the TSL_SetNewTS function.
        Create a time series with the output of a function
        Many functions return a time series.
      - Load data into a time series
        You can use several methods to load data into the time series. Some methods require you to create the time series instance before you load data.
      - Performance tips for time series
        You can improve the performance of loading and querying time series data with the following guidelines.
      - Delete time series data
        You can delete time series data to remove incorrect data or to remove old data.
      - Manage packed data
        You can insert, delete, and select packed data.
    - Virtual tables for time series data
      A virtual table provides a relational view of your time series data.
    - Pattern matching searches
      You can search time series data for matches to a particular pattern of values. For example, after you identify a pattern of abnormal electricity usage that indicates an outage, you can search for matches to that pattern to find other outages. Pattern matching searches find matches to a pattern that you supply. Pattern matching searches do not discover patterns in time series data.
    - Advanced analytics
      Advanced analytics functions provide specialized methods of analyzing time series data for patterns or abnormalities.
    - Calendar pattern routines
      You can use calendar pattern routines to manipulate calendar patterns.
    - Calendar routines
      You can use calendar routines to manipulate calendars.
    - Time series SQL routines
    - Time series Java™ class library
      You can use the time series Java™ class library to create and manage a time series from within Java applications or applets.
    - Time series API routines
      The time series application programming interface routines allow application programmers to directly access a time series datum.
    - Appendixes
  - Web DataBlade Module
    Use the Web DataBlade® module to create web applications that incorporate data that is retrieved dynamically from the HCL Informix® database.
- Creating extensions
  You can create user-defined data types, routines, access methods, and other database objects to suit your needs. You can use application programming interfaces to write user-defined routines and applications that access data in Informix® databases.

Creating a time series with metadata

You can create an empty or populated time series that also contains user-defined metadata. A time series column includes a header that holds information about the time series and can also contain user-defined metadata.

About this task

User-defined metadata allows the time series to be self-describing. The metadata can be information usually contained in additional columns in the table, such as the name of a stock, or the type of the time series. The advantage of keeping this type of information in the time series is that, when using an API routine, it is easier to retrieve the metadata than to pass additional columns to the routine. Metadata is stored in a distinct type based on the TimeSeriesMeta data type. The TimeSeriesMeta data type is an opaque data type of variable length, up to a maximum length of 512 bytes. The routines that accept the TimeSeriesMeta data type also accept its distinct type. The distinct type requires support functions, such as input, output, send, receive, and so on.

Procedure

To create a time series with metadata:

Create a distinct data type based on the TimeSeriesMeta data type with the following SQL statement. Substitute MyMetaData with a name you choose.
create distinct type MyMetaData as TimeSeriesMeta
Create support functions for your metadata data type.
For information on creating support functions, see the Informix® User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide.
Run the TSCreate or TSCreateIrr function with the metadata argument.

Results

After you have created a time series with metadata, you can add, change, remove, and retrieve the metadata. You can also retrieve the name of your metadata type.