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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.
Varying-length data type structuresA varying-length data type structure can hold data whose length varies from one instance to the next. The database server uses varying-length structures extensively to manage data transfer for DataBlade® API modules.
A varying-length structure

A varying-length structure

The DataBlade® API provides the following data types to support varying-length data.


DataBlade API data type	SQL varying-length data type	More information
mi_lvarchar	LVARCHAR	The mi_lvarchar data type The input and output support functions
mi_bitvarying	BITVARYING	The mi_bitvarying data type
mi_sendrecv	SENDRECV	The send and receive support functions
mi_impexp	IMPEXP	External unload representation
mi_impexpbin	IMPEXPBIN	Internal unload representation

All these DataBlade API data types have the same underlying structure. For more information about the structure of a varying-length data type, see Create a varying-length structure.

All data types, including mi_lvarchar, must be passed by reference within client LIBMI applications.

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