Questions about ESQL/C

Hello all, OK, so here are probably some pretty simple questions from someone new to Informix. In a previous post I asked about loading data and one of the responses pointed me in the direction of the IIUG software repository. After looking around a bit I noticed that several of the utilites require ESQL/C. I know what this is (at least I think I do) but my first question is Where do I get it? I looked around on the system on which Informix is installed and the only thing I saw was a directory caled esqlc which contained a couple of header files. The software package that we have installed is written in Informix 4GL (version 7.20). The IDS engine is version 7.3. Are the ESQL/C tools included with the Informix engine? Is it an option to install or skip during installation of the engine or tools? Unfortunately I wasn't very involved with the installation process. The software company that we purchased the software from provided us with assistance in doing the initial installation. If it is included with Informix would there be any good reason not to install it? Would it conflict in any way with the 4GL tools? I know from my UNIX admin experience that although I'm only a C programming novice that it is pretty much a necessity to have a C compiler installed. Is the same true of ESQL/C with Informix? Assuming I do have the ability to install ESQL/C, can I install now that I have the IDS engine installed and up and running? I thought I read somewhere that there is a certain order of installation that must be followed. Thanks, John Welch Systems Analyst Brockway-Smith Co.

John Welch wrote: > OK, so here are probably some pretty simple questions from someone > new to Informix. > In a previous post I asked about loading data and one of the > responses pointed me in the direction of the IIUG software repository. > After looking around a bit I noticed that several of the utilites > require ESQL/C. I know what this is (at least I think I do) but my > first question is Where do I get it? Probably from Intraware, http://www.intraware.com, where it is a free download now called ClientSDK or CSDK. Since you're using IDS 7.3x, this is the correct software to use. > I looked around on the system on > which Informix is installed and the only thing I saw was a directory > caled esqlc which contained a couple of header files. The software > package that we have installed is written in Informix 4GL (version > 7.20). The IDS engine is version 7.3. Ideally, you'd upgrade I4GL to version 7.30. > Are the ESQL/C tools included with the Informix engine? No, and they never have been. > Is it an option to install or skip during installation of the engine or > tools? Neither; it is a separate piece of software. In fact, you effectively get ESQL/C when you install I4GL too, but for pure ESQL/C programs, it is better to have pure ESQL/C installed separately from I4GL. > [...snip...] Would it conflict in any way with the 4GL tools? It depends, but basically no. If you are planning to compile ESQL/C code to be linked into I4GL programs, use the c4gl script to do the compiling and not the esql script. > I know from my UNIX admin > experience that although I'm only a C programming novice that it is > pretty much a necessity to have a C compiler installed. Is the same > true of ESQL/C with Informix? If you ask me, as an inveterate ESQL/C hacker, then yes. I feel a machine with Informix and without either a C compiler or an ESQL/C compiler is a naked machine. On the other hand, there are those who would disagree with me, and for their circumstances, they may even be right (just as for my circumstances, I'm right!). > Assuming I do have the ability to install ESQL/C, can I install now > that I have the IDS engine installed and up and running? I thought I > read somewhere that there is a certain order of installation that must > be followed. There are installation orders, and the installation order has not gotten any easier. With your current software combination, I'd expect to install I4GL, IDS, ClientSDK in that order, so you should be OK. And if you install I4GL 7.3, then I'd probably expect to install either IDS, I4GL, ClientSDK or IDS, ClientSDK, I4GL, so again you'd probably be OK. -- Jonathan Leffler (jleffler@informix.com, jleffler@earthlink.net) Guardian of DBD::Informix v1.00.PC1 -- see http://www.perl.com/CPAN #include <disclaimer.h>