This section describes how to use the Powersoft INFORMIX IN4 and IN5 database interfaces in PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.

You may wish to also read the description of Using embedded SQL with INFORMIX.

Supported versions

Powersoft supplies two INFORMIX database interfaces:

• IN4
• IN5

These interfaces use different Powersoft DLLs and access different versions of the INFORMIX database server software and INFORMIX-NET client software, as listed in the following table:

Powersoft INFORMIX interface	Powersoft interface DLL	INFORMIX database server software	INFORMIX-NET client software
IN4	PBIN4040.DLL	INFORMIX -SE 4.x INFORMIX-SE 5.x INFORMIX-OnLine 4.x INFORMIX-OnLine 5.x	INFORMIX-NET 4.x
IN5	PBIN5040.DLL	INFORMIX-SE 5.x INFORMIX-SE 6.x INFORMIX-OnLine 5.x INFORMIX-OnLine 6.x	INFORMIX-NET 5.x

Supported data types

PowerBuilder and InfoMaker support the following INFORMIX data types in DataWindows, reports, and embedded SQL.

Byte, text, and VarChar data types are not supported in INFORMIX SE. Float and real data types are not supported in INFORMIX Local.

Data type conversion
When you retrieve or update columns, PowerBuilder or InfoMaker converts data appropriately between the INFORMIX data type and the Powersoft data type.

DateTime data type

The DateTime data type is a contiguous sequence of fields. Each field represents a component of time that you want to record. The syntax is:

DATETIME largest_qualifier TO smallest_qualifier

PowerBuilder and InfoMaker default to Year TO Fraction(5).

To create your own variation of the DateTime data type:

1. In the Database painter Create Table dialog box, create a table with a DateTime column.
2. Click the Log Only button.

PowerBuilder or InfoMaker writes the CREATE TABLE statement only to the log file; it does not submit it to the DBMS.

3. In the Database Administration painter, modify the DateTime syntax and execute the CREATE TABLE statement.

Time data type

PowerBuilder and InfoMaker also support a time data type. The time data type is a subset of the DateTime data type. The time data type uses only the time qualifier fields.

Interval data type

The interval data type is one value or a sequence of values that represent a component of time. The syntax is:

INTERVAL largest_qualifier TO smallest_qualifier

PowerBuilder and InfoMaker default to Day(3) TO Day.

Preparing to use the database

The procedure for preparing to use an INFORMIX database depends on whether you access it with the IN4 or IN5 interface.

Preparing to use the database with the IN4 interface

Before you define the interface and connect to an INFORMIX database with the IN4 interface, follow these steps to prepare the database.

To prepare an INFORMIX database that you access with the IN4 interface:

1. Install the database server software and database network software, following the instructions in your INFORMIX documentation.

You must obtain the database server software from INFORMIX.

2. Make sure the appropriate network software is installed at your site. INFORMIX-NET supports the following network protocols:
• Novell IPX/SPX
• Any Windows Sockets compliant TCP/IP protocol

You must obtain the network software from your network vendor.

3. Install the appropriate INFORMIX-NET Version 4.x client software on your computer, following the instructions in your INFORMIX-NET documentation.

You must obtain the INFORMIX-NET client software from INFORMIX.

4. Install the Powersoft IN4 database interface (PBIN4040.DLL) on your computer.
5. Make sure the following files are installed on your computer, and that the directory containing these files appears in your program search path. (These files are usually installed in the INFORMIX \BIN directory.)
• LDLLSQLW.DLL
• SETNET.EXE
• REMSQL.EXE
6. Make sure the following line appears in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

SET INFORMIXDIR=INFORMIX-NET_directory

      For example:

SET INFORMIXDIR=C:\INFORMIX\BIN

7. Load the INFORMIX-NET client software and set connection attributes.

One way to do this is to issue the REMSQL command from DOS. Issuing REMSQL loads the INFORMIX-NET software and sets the attributes in the client software network layer that you will use to communicate with the INFORMIX database server.

To issue the REMSQL command, type the following at a DOS prompt:

remsql -h hostname -u username -p password -s servicename

arameter	Description
hostname	The name of the host computer running the INFORMIX database process
username	Your user ID or name
password	Your password
servicename	The name of the service to which REMSQL should connect

For example:

remsql -h solar -u informix -p informix -s ol4

8. Make sure you can connect to the INFORMIX database server and to the INFORMIX database you want to access from outside PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.
9. Start Windows on your computer.

Preparing to use the database with the IN5 interface

Before you define the interface and connect to an INFORMIX interface with the IN5 interface, follow these steps to prepare the database.

To prepare an INFORMIX database that you access with the IN5 interface:

1. Install the database server software and database network software, following the instructions in your INFORMIX documentation.

• If you are using INFORMIX Version 5.x--You must install database server software and database network software.
• If you are using INFORMIX Version 6.x or higher--You can install just the database server software. You need not install a separate database network component (such as INFORMIX-STAR or INFORMIX-NET) on the server.

You must obtain the database server and database network software from INFORMIX.

• Install the appropriate INFORMIX-NET for Windows Version 5.x client software on your computer, following the instructions in your INFORMIX-NET documentation.

INFORMIX-NET supports the following network protocols:

• Novell IPX/SPX
• Any Windows Sockets compliant TCP/IP protocol

You must obtain the INFORMIX-NET client software from your network vendor.

3. Install the Powersoft IN5 database interface (PBIN5040.DLL) on your computer.
4. Make sure the following files are installed on your computer, and that the directory containing these files appears in your program search path. (These files are usually installed in the INFORMIX \BIN directory.)

• LDLLSQLW.DLL
• SETNET.EXE

LDLLSQLW.DLL is an INFORMIX software module that allows PowerBuilder or InfoMaker to communicate with a remote INFORMIX database server.

Since PowerBuilder and InfoMaker work with Versions 4.x and 5.x of the INFORMIX-NET client software, you may have both the 4.x and 5.x versions of LDLLSQLW.DLL installed on your computer. (Version 4.x of the LDLLSQLW.DLL file is dated before 1994, and Version 5.x is dated 1994 or later.)

To ensure that you use the Version 5.x LDLLSQLW.DLL file with INFORMIX-NET Version 5.x client software, make sure both of the following are true:

• Version 5.x of the LDLLSQLW.DLL file appears in your program search path before the Version 4.x LDLLSQLW.DLL file.
• Version 4.x of the LDLLSQLW.DLL file does not appear in the program search path. If it does, rename or delete it.

• Make sure the following line appears in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

SET INFORMIXDIR=INFORMIX-NET_directory

For example:

SET INFORMIXDIR=C:\INFORMIX\BIN

• Make sure the INFORMIX.INI configuration file in your Windows directory is properly edited for your environment.

When you install INFORMIX-NET Version 5.x client software on your computer, it automatically creates a file named INFORMIX.INI and places it in the Windows directory.

The INFORMIX.INI file contains default parameters that define your network configuration, network protocol, and environment variables. If you omit these values from the database profile when you define the Powersoft INFORMIX database interface, they default to the values specified in your INFORMIX.INI file.

If necessary, you can modify the INFORMIX.INI file by:

• Editing it with any text editor
• Running the Windows-based SETNET utility that comes with INFORMIX-NET for Windows Version 5.x

7. Make sure you can connect to the INFORMIX database server and to the INFORMIX database you want to access from outside PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.

INFORMIX provides the ILOGIN.EXE demo program for this purpose. For instructions on using ILOGIN.EXE, see your INFORMIX documentation.

Defining the database interface

This section describes how to define the IN4 and IN5 Powersoft INFORMIX database interfaces.

Defining the IN4 database interface

The following table lists the values you should supply for each field in the Database Profile Setup dialog box when defining the Powersoft IN4 database interface.

Field	Value
Profile Name	The name of your database profile.
DBMS	IN4 - I-Net v4.x
User ID	Not applicable for use with PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.
Password	Not applicable for use with PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.
Database Name	The name of the INFORMIX database you want to access.
Prompt for Database information during Connect	Select this checkbox if you want to be prompted for connection information when creating or selecting a profile to connect to the database.
Server Name	Not applicable for use with PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.
Login ID	Not applicable for use with PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.
Login Password	Not applicable for use with PowerBuilder or InfoMaker.
DBParm	Specify DBMS-specific connection parameters in this field.

Defining the IN5 database interface

The following table lists the values you should supply for each field in the Database Profile Setup dialog box when defining the Powersoft IN5 database interface.

Connecting to INFORMIX in a PowerBuilder script

If you are connecting to an INFORMIX database in a PowerBuilder script, you can obtain the serial number of the row inserted into an INFORMIX table by checking the value of the SQLReturnData attribute of the transaction object.

After a embedded SQL INSERT statement executes, SQLReturnData contains the serial number that uniquely identifies the row inserted into the table.

PowerBuilder updates SQLReturnData following an embedded SQL statement only; it does not update it following a DataWindow operation.