Data types
The database server uses data types to determine how to store and retrieve different kinds of data.
The following table lists the categories of data types available
to you when you create a DataBlade® module.
You must define some of these data types; others you can use just
as they are.
| Data type | You define? | Code needed? | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in | No | No | A native HCL Informix® data type that comes with the database server |
| Qualified built-in | Yes | No | A built-in data type that takes one or more parameters, such as storage size, range of values, or precision |
| Built-in opaque | No | No (except for LVARCHAR) | A built-in data type that cannot be accessed in distributed queries by a different server instance. |
| User-defined opaque | Yes | Yes (the basic code needed to implement an opaque type is generated by BladeSmith) | A data type whose internal members cannot be accessed directly by using SQL statements |
| Distinct | Yes | No | A user-defined name for an existing built-in or extended type |
| Collection | Yes | No | A group of elements of the same data type |
| Row | Yes | No | A structured data type whose internal members can be directly accessed through SQL statements |
An extended data type is a data type that is not built into HCL Informix. Extended data types include opaque data types, distinct data types, collection data types, and row data types. Extended data types are described in the Informix User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide.
Collection and row data types are extended data types built from a combination of other data types; their components are accessed through SQL statements.