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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.
Creating a shared-object fileYou create a shared-object file to hold the compiled UDRs. This file is in a directory on the server computer. Each UDR must have a unique name within the shared-object file.
Creating a shared-object file on Windows™:

Creating a shared-object file on Windows:

About this task

To create a shared-object file on Windows™:

Procedure

Load the abs.o object file into a DLL named abs.dll, as the following example shows:
```
link /DLL /OUT:abs.dll /DEF:abs.def abs.obj d:\informix\lib\SAPI.LIB
```
The preceding command uses the HCL Informix® software installed on the d: drive in a directory named informix.
If you are using Visual Studio 2005, embed the manifest file in the DLL with this command:
```
mt -manifest abs.dll.manifest -outputresource:abs.dll;2
```
The manifest file abs.dll.manifest was generated by the link command in step 1. The mt command embeds this manifest file in abs.dll. For more information about manifests, see the Microsoft™ website.
Put the DLL in a directory on which user informix has read permission and set the READONLY attribute with the attrib +r command:
```
attrib +r abs.dll
```

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