Structured Query Language (SQL)

You can use SQL statements to retrieve, insert, update, and delete data from a database. To retrieve data from a database, you perform a query, which is a SELECT statement that specifies the rows and columns to be retrieved from the database.

You can write programs that exchange data with the database server. You can also write programs that take data from any source in any format, prepare it, and insert it into the database.

Use ESQL/C to embed SQL statements directly into a C program. DB–Access lets you execute SQL statements interactively. Use JDBC to embed SQL statements directly into a Java program.

For information about database management, see the IBM Informix Database Design and Implementation Guide. For information about how to create and use SQL, see the IBM Informix Guide to SQL: Tutorial and the IBM Informix Guide to SQL: Syntax. For information about embedded SQL, see the IBM Informix ESQL/C Programmer's Manual and J/Foundation Developer's Guide. For information about how to use DB–Access, see the IBM Informix DB–Access User's Guide.