This chapter describes how to create and use SPL routines. An SPL routine is a user-defined routine written in IBM Informix Stored Procedure Language (SPL). IBM Informix SPL is an extension to SQL that provides flow control, such as looping and branching. Anyone who has the Resource privilege on a database can create an SPL routine.
Routines written in SQL are parsed, optimized as far as possible, and then stored in the system catalog tables in executable format. An SPL routine might be a good choice for SQL-intensive tasks. SPL routines can execute routines written in C or other external languages, and external routines can execute SPL routines.
You can use SPL routines to perform any task that you can perform in SQL and to expand what you can accomplish with SQL alone. Because SPL is a language native to the database, and because SPL routines are parsed and optimized when they are created rather than at runtime, SPL routines can improve performance for some tasks. SPL routines can also reduce traffic between a client application and the database server and reduce program complexity.
The syntax for each SPL statement is described in the IBM Informix: Guide to SQL Syntax. Examples accompany the syntax for each statement.
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