Re: Case-Insensitive search

So as UDO is too expensive for our purposes and even 7.3 can't create indexes using functions we are still left with the need for an extra field containing the uppercase version of the data. Unfortunately you also need UDO to keep such a field updated automatically. The SPL language is too limited to be able to do it via a trigger/stored procedure. (May be the new upper function could be used now, but we need to be able to implement a metaphone funtcion.) This leaves us having to implement this in every application that updates the table(s) where this functionality is needed. A real pain. As far as I know no competitors of Informix have any better functionality than what is in 7.3. That is an upper/lower function, but no indexes using such a function. This leads to sequential scans as soon as you use the function in a where clause. Totaly unaceptable to us. This is yet another reason why we would want the UDO version, why it would make Informix much more competitive, why it would lead customers to standardize on Informix and not want to, nor be able to, move to a competitor. I am still at a loss to understand why UDO isn't the standard engine. May be it isn't quite ready for that yet, but I sure hope that day will come soon. On Wed, 20 May 1998 21:09:52 -0700, Clem Akins <clem@informix.com> wrote: > >Richard responds: >>iftikhar_khan@mailcity.com wrote: >> >>> Can we make a case insensitive search in Informix? >> >>Bear in mind that making a search case insensative (there are already several >>posts on possibilities) invalidates any index you happen to have on the >column. >>Just a thought. > >There are functions such as UPPER and LOWER that allow case insensitive >searches >in 7.3, and simulations of these functions available from the IIUG site >at http://www.iiug.org . > >>Out of curiosity, does 7.3 allow indexes on functions? I thought that at one >>point it was supposed to -- filed the nifty specs in the trash when I got >them >>though as we're not ready to certify on it yet. > >Functional indexes are available with the UDO option, but not without. That >is, not in 7.3. > >>Out of more curiosity, how buggy is it? In the Real World, I mean (frequent >>100% utilization on large SMP machines, esp. HP and IBM). > >I don't have the statistics on it "real world", but the Q&A suite that >the 7.3 and 9.2 products are subject to is the most comprehensive that >Informix has every devised. We have all learned a great deal from the >past. > >_____________________________________________________________ >Clem Akins (aka clem@informix.com) Menlo Park x5937 >Customer Course Development Manager Informix Software, Inc >Last seen: Picnicking on the beach at Point Reyes, California Nils Myklebust NM Data AS Norway E-mail: Nils.Myklebust@nmdata.com FAQ at: http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html (Now with ODBC info under "Third party products".)