Welcome
Client APIs and tools
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of client APIs to develop applications for Informix database servers.
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.
Appendixes
This section contains additional reference information.
The ITLocale class
This section describes the ITLocale class, which encapsulates the GLS API.
Built-in data type conversion methods
This section describes the ITLocale methods for converting built-in data types to an internal representation.
The ConvertDate method
This method converts the date pointed to by str into an internal representation.

HCL Informix® V15.0.0 documentation
Welcome to the documentation for HCL Informix® 15.0.0 and related client tools and products.
Product overview
HCL Informix® is a fast and scalable database server that manages traditional relational, object-relational, and dimensional databases. Its small footprint and self-managing capabilities are suited to embedded data-management solutions.
Installing
These topics describe how to install HCL Informix® database servers, client products, and modules.
Administering
In addition to administering the database server, you can tune performance, replicate data, and archive data.
Migrating and upgrading
You can upgrade to the 15.0.0 release of HCL Informix® or migrate from other database servers to Informix. Upgrading is an in-place migration method that uses your existing hardware and operating system software. Some changes to the Informix database server can affect upgrading from a previous release.
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 HCL® Informix® Change Data Capture API Programmer's Guide describes how to program applications to process changed data from HCL Informix databases using the HCL Informix Change Data Capture API.
- Embedded SQLJ for HCL Informix®
  The HCL® Informix® Embedded SQLJ User's Guide contains information about using IBM Informix Embedded SQLJ.
- ESQL/C Guide
  The HCL® Informix® Enterprise Replication Guide explains how to use , 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 HCL® Informix® GLS User's Guide describes the Global Language Support (GLS) feature available in HCL Informix products.
- Informix GLS 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 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.
  - Architecture of the object interface for C++
    The encapsulates HCL Informix® database server features into a class hierarchy.
  - Issue database queries and retrieve results
    To interact with a database, your C++ client application uses the operation classes of the . These classes have methods for opening database connections, submitting queries, and manipulating database cursors. This section describes how to use these methods.
  - Access data values
    This section describes the specific value interfaces in detail, and shows how to modify value objects and extract information through the value interfaces into host variables in your application.
  - Create and extend value objects
    When you retrieve values from the HCL Informix® database by using the , the values are returned as value objects. Value objects are created by the by using an extensible class factory that maps Informix data types to C++ objects.
  - Operation class reference
    This section is an alphabetized reference that lists and describes the operation classes. Each class has an assignment operator and a copy constructor, which are not listed in the tables of methods.
  - Value interface reference
    This section lists and describes the value interfaces. The ITFactoryList and ITPreserveData classes provide support for value interfaces.
  - Appendixes
    This section contains additional reference information.
    - Supported data types
      This section lists the server data types and the interfaces supported for them.
    - Example programs
    - The ITLocale class
      This section describes the ITLocale class, which encapsulates the GLS API.
      - Multibyte character string termination
      - Multibyte character termination
      - Memory allocation
      - Access the ITLocale object
      - Error return method
        This method returns a GLS error number.
      - String comparison methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for comparing strings.
      - String processing methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for processing strings.
      - Environment method
        This topic describes the ITLocale method for determining the client locale.
      - Code set conversion methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for converting code sets.
      - Character classification methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for classifying characters.
      - Character case conversion methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for converting the case of characters.
      - Built-in data type conversion methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for converting built-in data types to an internal representation.
        The ConvertDate method
        This method converts the date pointed to by str into an internal representation.
        The FormatDate method
        This method creates a date string from the mi_date structure pointed to by d.
        The ConvertDatetime method
        This method converts the date-time string pointed to by str into an internal representation.
        The FormatDatetime method
        This method creates a date-time string from the mi_datetime structure pointed to by dt.
        The ConvertNumber method
        This method converts the number string pointed to by str into an internal representation.
        The FormatNumber method
        This method creates a number string from the mi_decimal structure pointed to by dec.
        The ConvertMoney method
        This method converts the money string pointed to by str into an internal representation.
        The FormatMoney method
        This method creates a money string from the mi_money structure pointed to by m.
      - Multibyte and wide character conversion methods
        This section describes the ITLocale methods for converting characters and character strings between their multibyte and wide character representations.
      - Multibyte string traversal and indexing methods
        This section describes the following ITLocale methods for converting built-in data types to an internal representation.
- Informix® ODBC Driver Guide
  The Informix® ODBC Driver Programmer's Manual serves as a user guide and reference for HCL Informix ODBC Driver, which is the Informix implementation of the Microsoft™ Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface, Version 3.0.
- .NET provider options
  The HCL Data Server Provider for .NET IBM® DB2® provider option is the preferred Informix® provider for developing new applications.
- HCL Informix 4GL
  This topic provides a link to the Informix 4GL documentation.
- Informix® JDBC Driver Guide
  The HCL® Informix® JDBC Driver Programmer's Guide describes how to install, load, and use HCL 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 HCL Informix OLE DB Provider Programmer's Guide describes the software requirements for using HCL 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.
Embedding Informix®
When you embed HCL Informix®, you can use enterprise-class high-availability and high performance with embeddability features such as easy programmability, a small disk and memory footprint, and silent deployment.
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 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.
Data warehousing
In addition to designing and implementing Informix® dimensional databases, you can use tools to create data warehouse applications and optimize your data warehouse queries.
Designing databases
The first step in creating a relational database is to construct a data model, which is a precise, complete definition of the data you want to store. After you prepare your data model, you must implement it as a database and tables. To implement your data model, you first select a data type for each column and then you create a database and tables and populate the tables with data. You can also implement fragmentation strategies and control access to your data.
JSON compatibility
You can use the popular JSON-oriented query language created by MongoDB to interact with data stored in HCL Informix®.
Security
You can secure your Informix® database server and the data that is stored in your Informix databases. You can encrypt data, secure connections, control user privileges and access, and audit data security.
SQL programming
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of the SQL language to develop applications for Informix database servers.
Troubleshooting HCL Informix®
Several troubleshooting techniques, tools, and resources are available for resolving problems that you encounter in your HCL Informix® database server environment.

The ConvertDate method

This method converts the date pointed to by str into an internal representation.

mi_date ConvertDate(const ITString &str, 
         const ITString &format = ITString::Null) const

Use the format parameter to specify the format of the internal representation. If you set format to NULL (the default), the format is determined by the environment.

If you do not specify NULL for the format, you must pass a string to format defining the format of the internal representation.

This method returns the internal representation of the date.

If there is an error, this method returns -1. Call ITLocale::GetError() to retrieve a specific error message.