Solutions that use the R-tree access method

The HCL Informix® spatial solution uses the R-tree access method. The spatial solution manages spatial data that represents locations on Earth in either a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional model.

The spatial solution contains a variety of data types, such as ST_LineString and ST_Polygon, as well as various functions that operate on the data types, such as ST_Distance and ST_Overlaps. You use the ST_Geometry_Ops operator class to create R-tree indexes on columns of spatial data types. You use spatial functions to query spatial data, for example, the SE_Nearest and SE_NearestBBox functions perform nearest-neighbor searches.

Shapes3 sample DataBlade module describes the Shapes3 sample DataBlade® module that defines four spatial data types and an operator class to allow you to create an R-tree index on columns of these data types. The sample module is not the HCL® Informix® product, but is provided as an example of creating an operator class.