Create and use extended data types in Informix
This chapter describes extended data types that you can use to build an object-relational database. The term object-relational is not associated with a particular method or model of database design, but instead refers to any database that uses IBM® Informix® features to extend the functionality of the database.
An object-relational database is not antithetical to a relational database but rather is an extension of functionality already present in a relational database. Typically, you use some combination of features from Informix to extend the kinds of data that your database can store and manipulate. These features include extended data types, smart large objects, type and table inheritance, user-defined casts, and user-defined routines (UDRs). The chapters in this section of the manual describe many of these features. For information about UDRs, see IBM Informix User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide and the IBM Informix Guide to SQL: Tutorial.
For an example of an object-relational database, you can create the superstores_demo database, which contains examples of some of the features available with Informix. For information about how to create the superstores_demo database, see the IBM Informix DB-Access User's Guide.