Regular Public Functions

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Regular Public Functions

The DataBlade API provides support for the following kinds of functions in a DataBlade API module.

Kind of Functions	Purpose
DataBlade API functions	Provide access to the database server
IBM Informix ESQL/C functions	Provide operations on certain data types
IBM Informix GLS functions	Provide the ability to internationalize your DataBlade API module

DataBlade API Functions

The DataBlade API functions begin with the mi_ prefix. The milib.h header file declares most of these DataBlade API functions. The mi.h header file automatically includes milib.h. You must include mi.h in any DataBlade API module that uses a DataBlade API function.

The functions of the DataBlade API function library can be divided into the following categories.

Category of DataBlade API Functions	More Information
Data handling:
Obtaining type information	Type Identifiers Type Descriptors
Transferring data types between computers (database server only)	Conversion of Opaque-Type Data with Computer-Specific Data Types
Converting data to a different data type	DataBlade API Functions for Date Conversion DataBlade API Functions for Date-Time or Interval Conversion DataBlade API Functions for Decimal Conversion DataBlade API Functions for String Conversion
Handling collections: sets, multisets, and lists	Collections
Converting between code sets (database server only)	Internationalization of DataBlade API Modules (GLS)
Handling collections	Collections
Managing varying-length structures	Varying-Length Data Type Structures
Obtaining SERIAL values	Processing Insert Results
Handling NULL values	SQL NULL Value
Session, thread, and transaction management:
Obtaining connection information	Using Connection Parameters Using Database Parameters Using Session Parameters
Establishing a connection	Establishing a Connection
Initializing the DataBlade API	Initializing the DataBlade API
Managing Informix threads (database server only)	Yielding the CPU VP Managing Stack Usage
Obtaining transaction and server-processing state changes	Using a Transition Descriptor
SQL statement processing:
Sending SQL statements	Executing Basic SQL Statements Executing Prepared SQL Statements
Obtaining statement information	Returning a Statement Descriptor Obtaining Input-Parameter Information
Obtaining result information	Processing Statement Results
Retrieving rows and row data (also row types and row-type data)	Obtaining Row Information Retrieving Rows
Retrieving columns	Obtaining Column Information Obtaining Column Values
Using save sets	Using Save Sets
Executing user-defined-routines:
Accessing an MI_FPARAM structure	Accessing MI_FPARAM Routine-State Information
Allocating an MI_FPARAM structure	Using a User-Allocated MI_FPARAM Structure
Using the Fastpath interface	Calling UDRs with the Fastpath Interface
Accessing a function descriptor	Obtaining Information from a Function Descriptor
Executing selectivity and cost functions:	Writing Selectivity and Cost Functions
Memory management:
Managing user memory	Managing User Memory
Managing named memory (database server only)	Managing Named Memory
Exception handling:
Raising a database exception	Raising an Exception
Accessing an error descriptor	Using an Error Descriptor, Handling Multiple Exceptions
Using callback functions	Invoking a Callback
Smart-large-object interface:
Creating a smart large object	Functions That Create a Smart Large Object
Performing I/O on a smart large object	Functions That Perform Input and Output on a Smart Large Object
Moving smart large objects to and from operating-system files	Functions That Move Smart Large Objects to and from Operating-System Files
Manipulating LO handles	Functions That Manipulate an LO Handle
Handling LO-specification structures	Functions That Access an LO-Specification Structure
Handling smart-large-object status	Functions That Access an LO-Status Structure
Operating-system file interface:	Access to Operating-System Files
Tracing (database server):	Using Tracing

For a complete list of DataBlade API functions in each of these categories, see the IBM Informix: DataBlade API Function Reference, which provides descriptions of the regular public and advanced functions, in alphabetical order. For more information on advanced functions of the DataBlade API, see Advanced Features (Server).

If an error occurs while a DataBlade API function executes, the function usually indicates the error with one of the following return values.

Way to Indicate an Error	More Information
Functions that return a pointer return the NULL-valued pointer	NULL-Valued Pointer
Functions that return an mi_integer value (or other integer) return the MI_ERROR status code	Handling Errors from DataBlade API Functions
Functions that raise an exception	Handling Errors from DataBlade API Functions

IBM Informix ESQL/C Functions

In a DataBlade API module, you can use some of the functions in the IBM Informix ESQL/C library functions to perform conversions and operations on different data types. The ESQL/C functions do not begin with the mi_ prefix. Various header files declare these functions. For more information, see ESQL/C Header Files.

The functions of the ESQL/C function library that are valid in a DataBlade API module can be divided into the following categories.

Category of DataBlade API Function	More Information
Byte handling	Manipulating Byte Data
Character processing	ESQL/C Functions for String Conversion Operations on Character Values
DECIMAL-type and MONEY-type processing	ESQL/C Functions for Decimal Conversion Performing Operations on Decimal Data
DATE-type processing	ESQL/C Functions for Date Conversion Operations on Date Data
DATETIME-type processing and INTERVAL-type processing	ESQL/C Functions for Date, Time, and Interval Conversion Operations on Date and Time Data
INT8-byte processing	Converting INT8 Values Performing Operations on Eight-Byte Values
Processing for other C-language data types	Formatting Numeric Strings

For a complete list of ESQL/C functions in each of these categories, see the IBM Informix: DataBlade API Function Reference, which provides descriptions of these public functions, in alphabetical order.

IBM Informix GLS Functions

The IBM Informix GLS library is an API that lets developers of DataBlade API modules create internationalized applications. This library is a threadsafe library. The macros and functions of IBM Informix GLS provide access to the GLS locales, which contain culture-specific information.

The IBM Informix GLS library contains functions that provide the following capabilities:

Process single-byte and multibyte characters
These functions are useful for processing character data in the NCHAR and NVARCHAR data types, which can contain locale-specific information.
Format date, time, and numeric data to locale-specific formats
These functions provide the ability to handle end-user formats for the DATE, DATETIME, DECIMAL, and MONEY data types.

The mi.h header file does not automatically include the IBM Informix GLS library. For more information on the IBM Informix GLS library and how to use it in a DataBlade API module, see Internationalization of DataBlade API Modules (GLS).