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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.
Virtual-Table Interface GuideThe Informix® Virtual-Table Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a primary access method with the Virtual-Table Interface (VTI) so that users have a single SQL interface to HCL Informix® tables and to data that does not conform to the storage scheme of HCL Informix®.
Descriptor function referenceThese topics provide the syntax and usage for the functions that the HCL Informix® database server supplies to access-method developers.
Descriptor referenceDescriptors are the predefined data structures through which the database server and access method pass information.
Row descriptorA row descriptor, or MI_ROW_DESC structure, typically describes the columns that the CREATE TABLE statement establishes for a table. A row descriptor can also describe a single row-type column.

Row descriptor

A row descriptor, or MI_ROW_DESC structure, typically describes the columns that the CREATE TABLE statement establishes for a table. A row descriptor can also describe a single row-type column.

The DataBlade® API defines the row descriptor that the access-method API uses.

The table descriptor contains a pointer to the row descriptor.

The accessor functions for the row descriptor (mi_column_*) provide information about each column, including the column name, floating-point precision and scale, alignment, and a pointer to a type descriptor. For information about the accessor functions for the row descriptor, see the Informix® DataBlade API Programmer's Guide.

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