The GLS feature provides support for the following language-related topics:

• Collation order of characters
• Definition of uppercase and lowercase conventions
• Non-ASCII characters as character data
• Culture-specific formatting for numeric, monetary, date, and time values

Organization of This Manual

• This Introduction provides an overview of the manual and describes the documentation conventions used.
• Chapter 1, "GLS Fundamentals," introduces GLS concepts and terms that are used throughout the manual, explains how to use and specify a locale for Informix products, and explains how to use code-set conversion to convert character data between a client and a database.
• Chapter 2, "GLS Environment Variables," describes the GLS-related environment variables.
• Chapter 3, "SQL Features," explains how the GLS environment affects the Informix implementation of SQL.
• Chapter 4, "INFORMIX-Universal Server Features," explains how the GLS environment affects INFORMIX-Universal Server.
• Chapter 5, "INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server Features," explains how the GLS environment affects INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server.
• Chapter 6, "INFORMIX-SE Features,"explains how the GLS environment affects the INFORMIX-SE database server.
• Chapter 7, "General SQL API Features," explains how the GLS environment affects the Informix SQL application programming interfaces (APIs), INFORMIX-ESQL/C and INFORMIX-ESQL/COBOL.
• Chapter 8, "INFORMIX-ESQL/C Features," explains features that are specific to INFORMIX-ESQL/C.
• Appendix A, "Managing GLS Files," provides information to help you manage GLS files and includes information on how to use the glfiles utility.
• "Glossary" provides a listing of terms and definitions used in products that provide GLS.

Software Dependencies

• C-ISAM, Version 7.2x
• DB-Access, Version 7.2x or Version 9.x
• ESQL/C, Version 7.2x or Version 9.x
• ESQL/COBOL, Version 7.2x
• INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server, Version 7.2x
• INFORMIX-SE, Version 7.2x
• INFORMIX-Universal Server, Version 9.x