Help: only 8 fields for unique index

I am using two older versions of the INFORMIX Database (SE and INFORMIX ESQL/C 4.0 and 4.1), which offers only 8 fields for a combined (unique) primary key index. I now have to write a bigger database application in ESQL/C, and have a normalized database-model, where up to 16 fields are necessary for one combined primary key index. I know this would be no problem with INFORMIX ONLINE etc., but I *must* use the older versions for money's sake (updates to ONLINE or SE 5.0 are not in the budget). How can I best resolve this dilemma. I don't want to fiddle around a lot with packing many fields into one database field for inserts, updates, und unpacking them again for selects ... The normalized database-model itself is o.k., so I don't want to (neither can I) change this. Any help or hints are highly appreciated! Thanks in advance, Klaus ------------------------------------------------------- Klaus Rehm | c0922@rrzc1.rz.uni-regensburg.de Gutenbergstr. 1 B | Phone: 0049 941 / 990 225 93051 Regensburg | Germany -------------------------------------------------------