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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®.
Creating extensionsYou 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.
DataBlade® API Programmer's GuideThe Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide describes information about the DataBlade® API, the C-language application programming interface (API) provided with HCL Informix®.
DataBlade® API overview
Access SQL data typesThis section provides an overview of the data types that the DataBlade® API supports.
Type descriptorsA type descriptor, MI_TYPE_DESC, is a DataBlade® API data type structure that contains information about an SQL data type. For built-in data types, this information comes from the syscolumns table. For extended data types, it contains the information in the sysxtdtypes table.
Type-structure conversion

Type-structure conversion

You can use the following DataBlade® API functions to obtain a type descriptor or type identifier.


Convert from	Convert to	DataBlade API function
Type identifier	Type descriptor	Description of mi_type_typedesc() in the Informix® DataBlade API Function Reference
Type descriptor	Type identifier	Description of mi_typedesc_typeid() in the Informix DataBlade API Function Reference
Type name (as mi_lvarchar)	Type identifier	Description of mi_typename_to_id() in the Informix DataBlade API Function Reference
Type name (as mi_lvarchar)	Type descriptor	Description of mi_typename_to_typedesc() in the Informix DataBlade API Function Reference
Type name (as string: char *)	Type identifier	Description of mi_typestring_to_id() in the Informix DataBlade API Function Reference
Type name (as string: char *)	Type descriptor	Description of mi_typestring_to_typedesc() in the Informix DataBlade API Function Reference

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