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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.
R-Tree Index User's GuideThe Informix® R-Tree Index User's Guide describes the HCL Informix® R-tree secondary access method and how to access and use its components.
Develop DataBlade® modules that use the R-tree secondary access method
Design a user-defined data type
Other user-defined data type design considerations

Other user-defined data type design considerations

When you design a new user-defined data type to store multidimensional data, include all the dimensions likely to be used in a query.

For example, suppose you are designing a user-defined data type to store information on beach resorts for a travel application. Because queries for resorts often include a time element, such as the time of high and low season rates for a particular resort, you might want to include a time dimension in the resort data type, as well as the usual location. When you create an R-tree index on a column of this data type, the time dimension is built into the index, and queries that specify time might execute faster.

Include dimensions that are also selective. This means that the values in a particular dimension effectively separate desired data from undesired data. For example, latitude and longitude spans are probably selective in a database of satellite photos because they can separate out just the few pictures in an area of interest from many other pictures scattered over the earth.

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