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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
Extend data typesThis section describes the ways to extend data types with C user-defined routines (UDRs).
Create an Opaque Data TypeThis section describes how to design and write an opaque data type.
Write opaque-type support functionsThe database server does not know the internal representation of an opaque type. To handle the internal representation, you write opaque-type support functions. These support functions tell the database server how to interact with the opaque type.
Support functions as casts
Bulk-copy support functionsThe database server can copy data in and out of a database with a bulk copy operation. In a bulk copy, the database server reads or sends large numbers of column values in a copy file, rather than handling each column value individually.

Bulk-copy support functions

The database server can copy data in and out of a database with a bulk copy operation. In a bulk copy, the database server reads or sends large numbers of column values in a copy file, rather than handling each column value individually.

HCL Informix® utilities such as DB-Access, the dbimport and dbexport utilities can perform bulk copies.

The format of the opaque-type data in the copy file is called its unload representation. This unload representation might be different from the server internal representation of the opaque-type data (which is stored in the database). You can create the following opaque-type support functions to handle the unload representations of the opaque-type data.


Unload representation	Description	Opaque-type support functions
External unload representation	The text format of the opaque type, as it is in a copy file	import, export
Internal unload representation	The binary format of the opaque type, as it is in a copy file	importbin, exportbin

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