Runtime Configuration
The behaviour of these functions is affected by settings in php.ini.
Note:
Make sure that the Informix environment variables INFORMIXDIR and
INFORMIXSERVER are available to the PHP ifx driver, and that the
INFORMIX bin directory is in the PATH. Check this by running a
script that contains a call to phpinfo()
before you start testing. The phpinfo()
output should list these environment variables. This is true for
both CGI php and Apache mod_php. You may have to set these
environment variables in your Apache startup script.
The Informix shared libraries should also be available to the
loader (check LD_LIBRARY_PATH or ld.so.conf/ldconfig).
Note:
Some notes on the use of BLOBs (TEXT and BYTE columns)
BLOBs are normally addressed by BLOB identifiers. Select queries
return a "blob id" for every BYTE and TEXT column. You can get
at the contents with "string_var = ifx_get_blob($blob_id);" if
you choose to get the BLOBs in memory (with:
"ifx_blobinfile(0);"). If you prefer to receive the content of
BLOB columns in a file, use "ifx_blobinfile(1);", and
"ifx_get_blob($blob_id);" will get you the filename. Use normal
file I/O to get at the blob contents.
For insert/update queries you must create these "blob id's"
yourself with "ifx_create_blob();". You then
plug the blob id's into an array, and replace the blob columns
with a question mark (?) in the query string. For
updates/inserts, you are responsible for setting the blob
contents with ifx_update_blob().
The behaviour of BLOB columns can be altered by configuration
variables that also can be set at runtime:
configuration variable: ifx.textasvarchar
configuration variable: ifx.byteasvarchar
runtime functions:
ifx_textasvarchar(0): use blob id's for select queries with TEXT
columns
ifx_byteasvarchar(0): use blob id's for select queries with BYTE
columns
ifx_textasvarchar(1): return TEXT columns as if they were
VARCHAR columns, so that you don't need to use blob id's for
select queries.
ifx_byteasvarchar(1): return BYTE columns as if they were
VARCHAR columns, so that you don't need to use blob id's for
select queries.
configuration variable: ifx.blobinfile
runtime function:
ifx_blobinfile_mode(0): return BYTE columns in memory, the blob
id lets you get at the contents.
ifx_blobinfile_mode(1): return BYTE columns in a file, the blob
id lets you get at the file name.
If you set ifx_text/byteasvarchar to 1, you can use TEXT and BYTE
columns in select queries just like normal (but rather long)
VARCHAR fields. Since all strings are "counted" in PHP, this
remains "binary safe". It is up to you to handle this
correctly. The returned data can contain anything, you are
responsible for the contents.
If you set ifx_blobinfile to 1, use the file name returned by
ifx_get_blob(..) to get at the blob contents. Note that in this
case YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELETING THE TEMPORARY FILES CREATED
BY INFORMIX when fetching the row. Every new row fetched will
create new temporary files for every BYTE column.
The location of the temporary files can be influenced by the
environment variable "blobdir", default is "." (the current
directory). Something like: putenv(blobdir=tmpblob"); will ease
the cleaning up of temp files accidentally left behind (their
names all start with "blb").
Note:
Automatically trimming "char" (SQLCHAR and SQLNCHAR) data
This can be set with the configuration variable
ifx.charasvarchar: if set to 1 trailing spaces will be
automatically trimmed, to save you some "chopping".
Note:
NULL values
The configuration variable ifx.nullformat (and the runtime
function ifx_nullformat()) when set to TRUE
will return NULL columns as the string "NULL", when set to FALSE
they return the empty string. This allows you to discriminate
between NULL columns and empty columns.
Informix configuration options
Name |
Default |
Changeable |
Changelog |
ifx.allow_persistent |
"1" |
PHP_INI_SYSTEM |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.max_persistent |
"-1" |
PHP_INI_SYSTEM |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.max_links |
"-1" |
PHP_INI_SYSTEM |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.default_host |
NULL |
PHP_INI_SYSTEM |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.default_user |
NULL |
PHP_INI_SYSTEM |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.default_password |
NULL |
PHP_INI_SYSTEM |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.blobinfile |
"1" |
PHP_INI_ALL |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.textasvarchar |
"0" |
PHP_INI_ALL |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.byteasvarchar |
"0" |
PHP_INI_ALL |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.charasvarchar |
"0" |
PHP_INI_ALL |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
ifx.nullformat |
"0" |
PHP_INI_ALL |
Removed in PHP 5.2.1. |
For further details and definitions of the
PHP_INI_* constants, see the
php.ini directives.
Here's a short explanation of
the configuration directives.
-
ifx.allow_persistent
boolean
-
Whether to allow persistent Informix connections.
-
ifx.max_persistent
integer
-
The maximum number of persistent Informix connections per
process.
-
ifx.max_links
integer
-
The maximum number of Informix connections per process, including
persistent connections.
-
ifx.default_host
string
-
The default host to connect to when no host is specified
in ifx_connect() or
ifx_pconnect(). Doesn't apply in
safe mode.
-
ifx.default_user
string
-
The default user id to use when none is specified
in ifx_connect() or
ifx_pconnect(). Doesn't apply in
safe mode.
-
ifx.default_password
string
-
The default password to use when none is specified
in ifx_connect() or
ifx_pconnect(). Doesn't apply in
safe mode.
-
ifx.blobinfile
boolean
-
Set to TRUE if you want to return blob columns
in a file, FALSE if you want them in memory. You can
override the setting at runtime
with ifx_blobinfile_mode().
-
ifx.textasvarchar
boolean
-
Set to TRUE if you want to return TEXT columns
as normal strings in select statements,
FALSE if you want to use blob id parameters. You can
override the setting at runtime with
ifx_textasvarchar().
-
ifx.byteasvarchar
boolean
-
Set to TRUE if you want to return BYTE columns
as normal strings in select queries,
FALSE if you want to use blob id parameters. You can
override the setting at runtime with
ifx_textasvarchar().
-
ifx.charasvarchar
boolean
-
Set to TRUE if you want to trim trailing spaces
from CHAR columns when fetching them.
-
ifx.nullformat
boolean
-
Set to TRUE if you want to return NULL columns
as the literal string "NULL", FALSE if you want
them returned as the empty string "". You can
override this setting at runtime with
ifx_nullformat().