Welcome
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.
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.
Developers Kit
The Developers Kit (DBDK) guides contain information about the tools you can use to develop and package modules, which extend the functionality of HCL Informix® databases.
Developers Kit User's Guide
The HCL Informix® Developers Kit User's Guide describes how to use tools to develop and package modules.
Getting started with module development
This section provides an overview of module development and describes the resources and tools the HCL Informix® database server provides to facilitate development.
Prepare to develop modules
This section suggests how to prepare for developing modules. This overview is intended to act as a map for information resources.
Design your module
modules can contain complex operations. A good design is critical to your success.
Programming resources

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.
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.
- Informix® extensions and modules
  These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed modules.
- 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.
  - Programmer's Guide
    The HCL® Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide describes information about the , the C-language application programming interface (API) provided with HCL Informix.
  - Function Reference
    The IBM® Informix® DataBlade® API Function Reference describes the functions and the subset of functions that the supports.
  - Developers Kit
    The Developers Kit (DBDK) guides contain information about the tools you can use to develop and package modules, which extend the functionality of HCL Informix® databases.
    - Module Development Overview
      The HCL Informix® module overview serves as an overview of the HCL Informix module development process.
    - Developers Kit User's Guide
      The HCL Informix® Developers Kit User's Guide describes how to use tools to develop and package modules.
      - Getting started with module development
        This section provides an overview of module development and describes the resources and tools the HCL Informix® database server provides to facilitate development.
        What is a module?
        A module is a software package that extends the functionality of your HCL Informix® database server. The package includes SQL statements and supporting code written in an external language or Informix SPL.
        tools
        Prepare to develop modules
        This section suggests how to prepare for developing modules. This overview is intended to act as a map for information resources.
        Become familiar with HCL Informix® software and documentation
        Familiarizing yourself with HCL Informix® software and documentation is critical for first-time developers. However, it is important for experienced developers too, because HCL Informix software and documentation are enhanced in each release.
        Design your module
        modules can contain complex operations. A good design is critical to your success.
        Write a functional specification
        A functional specification describes the scope and functionality of your module, without documenting implementation details.
        Programming resources
        Write a design specification
        A design specification describes the overall functionality of your module and documents the specific routines available to the user, the supporting database tables used to implement the routines, error messages, and the environment used to build the module.
        Create an iterative development plan
        Develop your module
        Developing your module is an iterative process that involves creating objects in BladeSmith, generating code, editing and compiling code, and testing and debugging code.
      - Design modules
        This section describes the module SQL design issues.
      - Programming guidelines
        Use this section to help you when you write the design specification for your module.
      - Create objects by using BladeSmith
        Use BladeSmith to create modules.
      - Programming module routines in C
        This section contains information to help you edit and compile C language source code generated by .
      - Create ActiveX value objects
        This section describes how to use the to create ActiveX value objects. This section describes the use of C++ to implement opaque type support routines.
      - The ActiveX value objects
        This section provides information for client application developers who are using ActiveX value objects.
      - Programming modules in Java™
        This section contains information to help you edit and compile Java™ language source code generated by BladeSmith.
      - Debugging and testing modules on UNIX™
        This section describes how to debug and perform functional tests for modules written in C for Informix® on UNIX™.
      - Debugging and testing modules on Windows™
        This section describes how to debug and perform functional tests for modules written in C and C++ for Informix® on Windows™.
      - BladePack
        BladePack creates installation packages for modules and other software products.
      - Appendixes
        This section contains additional reference information.
    - DBDK InfoShelf
      The Developers Kit InfoShelf is designed to help you work with BladeSmith.
  - J/Foundation Developer's Guide
    The HCL® J/Foundation Developer's Guide describes how to write user-defined routines (UDRs) in the Java™ programming language for Informix®.
  - R-Tree Index User's Guide
    The HCL® Informix® R-Tree Index User's Guide describes the HCL Informix R-tree secondary access method and how to access and use its components.
  - User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide
    The HCL® Informix® User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide describes how to define new data types and enable user-defined routines (UDRs) to extend HCL Informix.
  - Virtual-Table Interface Guide
    The IBM® Informix® Virtual-Table Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a primary access method with the Virtual-Table Interface (VTI) so that users have a single SQL interface to HCL Informix tables and to data that does not conform to the storage scheme of HCL Informix.
  - Virtual-Index Interface Guide
    The IBM® Informix® Virtual-Index Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a secondary access method with the Virtual-Index Interface (VII) to extend the built-in indexing schemes of HCL Informix typically with a module.
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.

Programming resources

The following table lists the programming language options you have when writing module code and refers you to sources of information about them.

Table 1. Programming language options and resources
Language	Information sources
C	Programming module routines in C HCL® Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide
ActiveX/C++ (client-side programming and Windows™ server projects only)	Create ActiveX value objects The ActiveX value objects HCL® Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide
Java™	Programming modules in Java HCL® J/Foundation Developer's Guide HCL® Informix® JDBC Driver Programmer's Guide
Stored Procedure Language (SPL)	HCL® Informix® Guide to SQL: Tutorial

For specific language options and guidelines, see Programming guidelines.