Table types for Informix

You can create logging or nonlogging tables in a logging database on IBM® Informix®. The two table types are STANDARD (logging tables) and RAW (nonlogging tables). The default standard table is like a table created in earlier versions without a special keyword specified. You can create either a STANDARD or RAW table and change tables from one type to another.

In a nonlogging database, both STANDARD tables and RAW tables are nonlogging. In a nonlogging database, the only difference between STANDARD and RAW tables is that RAW tables do not support primary-key constraints, unique constraints, referential constraints, or rollback. However, these tables can be indexed and updated.

The following table lists the properties of the types of tables available with Informix. The flag values are the hexadecimal values for each table type in the flags column of systables.

Table 1. Table types for Informix
Characteristic STANDARD RAW TEMP
Permanent Yes Yes No
Logged Yes No Yes
Indexes Yes Yes Yes
Constraints Yes No referential or unique constraints

NULL and NOT NULL constraints are allowed

Yes
Rollback Yes No Yes
Recoverable Yes Yes, if not updated No
Restorable Yes Yes, if not updated No
Loadable Yes Yes Yes
Enterprise Replication servers Yes No No
Primary servers in a high-availability cluster Yes Yes, cannot alter logging mode Yes
Secondary servers in a high-availability cluster Yes Yes, but not accessible for any operation Yes
Flag Value None 0x10 None