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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®.
Create user-defined routines
Develop a user-defined routineA C user-defined routine (UDR) is a UDR that is written in the C language and uses the server-side implementation of the DataBlade® API to communicate with the database server. C UDRs (functions and procedures) are implemented as C-language functions. DataBlade® modules often include C UDRs that are made available for use by registering them in the database.
Compile a C UDRTo compile a C UDR, use a C compiler to compile the source file (.c file extension) into an object file (.o file extension) and create a shared-object file that contains the object file.
Compile optionsUse the C compiler to compile a C UDR.

Compile options

Use the C compiler to compile a C UDR.

Include the following compiler options:

Specify the necessary paths for any header files that the file needs, such as an mi.h header file, which includes the declarations of the DataBlade® API data type structures and functions.
These paths include the following subdirectories of the main HCL Informix® installation directory (which the INFORMIXDIR environment variable specifies):
- The incl/public subdirectory contains public header files, such as mi.h.
- The incl/esql subdirectory contains Informix ESQL/C header files, such as decimal.h.
Indicate that the DataBlade API module is a C UDR with the following compiler flag:
```
MI_SERVBUILD
```

On UNIX™ or Linux™, the following sample command compiles the C UDR in the abs.c source file:

/compilers/bin/cc -I $INFORMIXDIR/incl 
   -I $INFORMIXDIR/incl/esql -c abs.c

cc -KPIC -DMI_SERVBUILD -I$INFORMIXDIR/incl/public \
-I$INFORMIXDIR/incl -L$INFORMIXDIR/esql/lib -c abs.c

At run time:

LB_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/informix/lib:/opt/informix/lib/esql

The following command is a sample of how to compile a C UDR named abs.c for Windows™:

cl /DNT_MI_SAPI /DMI_SERVBUILD 
-Id:\msdev\include -Id:\informix\incl\public 
-Id:\informix\incl -c abs.c

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