API for Informix?

Posted in 1999

Bob Casazza — Tue, 23 Mar 1999 09:37:44 -0500 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

I'm looking for a low-level API for Informix similiar to OCI in Oracle or perhaps DB-library in Sybase..... I have information about their CLI, but does the product have an even lower API? Bob

↪ replying to Bob Casazza

Art S. Kagel — Tue, 23 Mar 1999 14:35:26 -0500 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

Bob Casazza wrote: > > I'm looking for a low-level API for Informix > similiar to OCI in Oracle or perhaps DB-library > in Sybase..... > > I have information about their CLI, but does > the product have an even lower API? Actually CLI is not low level at all, it is just an implementation of the ODBC library calls using native Informix communications. If what you are seeking is a physically low level library to access the database as quickly as possible either CLI or ESQL/C are the best fit there is. If you are looking for an ISAMish file & record oriented library you are out of luck. If you are simply seeking a DB-library-like interface then you have found it in CLI. In performance CLI and ESQL/C programs are nearly identical. The ESQL precompiler translates the embedded SQL into CLI-like library calls with no additional overhead. Personally I find ESQL/C code easier to understand and maintain than CLI code and more flexible with stronger dynamic SQL support, but that is preferences. Art S. Kagel

↪ replying to Art S. Kagel

Richard Stanford — Wed, 24 Mar 1999 21:42:42 -0600 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

"Art S. Kagel" wrote: > Bob Casazza wrote: > > > > I'm looking for a low-level API for Informix > > similiar to OCI in Oracle or perhaps DB-library > > in Sybase..... > > > > I have information about their CLI, but does > > the product have an even lower API? > > Actually CLI is not low level at all, it is just an implementation of > the ODBC library calls using native Informix communications. The informix version of OCI does exist -- but its proprietary and has a tendancy to change on occasion (ie: fairly often). You could write some esql/c (or even 4GL) code, compile a whole mess of programs, read through the resultant C code, and pick it up -- but why bother? The esql/c translation is fairly decent (for what it is) and probably won't be the bottleneck in most situations. I've actually been working with the native code for some time now (don't ask, please (shudder)), but the documentation isn't available from Informix -- you have to write your own. I'm pretty sure that releasing it in any way would be in violation of various license/non-disclosure agreements too; but I'm not positive, for a few reasons. Hmm, maybe its time for _Undocumented_Informix_? Time to go bug the legal department... -Richard