Use JayDeBeApi to access IBM Informix Data in Python



Use standard Python scripting and the development environment of your choice to access live IBM Informix data.

Access IBM Informix data with Python scripts and standard SQL on any machine where Python and Java can be installed. You can use the CData JDBC Driver for IBM Informix and the JayDeBeApi module to work with remote IBM Informix data in Python. By using the CData Driver, you are leveraging a driver written for industry-proven standards to access your data in the popular Python language. This article shows how to use the driver to execute SQL queries to IBM Informix and visualize IBM Informix data with standard Python.

Use the JayDeBeApi module

JayDeBeApi is a Python library that serves as a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) bridge, allowing Python programs to interact with Java databases, including CData JDBC Drivers. Use the pip install command to install the module:

pip install JayDeBeApi

Create the JDBC URL

Once you have JayDeBeApi installed, you are ready to work with IBM Informix data in Python using SQL.

Set the following properties to connect to IBM Informix

  • Server: Set this to the name of the server running IBM Informix.
  • Port: Set this to the port the IBM Informix server is listening on.
  • Database: Set this to the name of the IBM Informix database.
  • User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
  • Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.

Built-in Connection String Designer

For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the IBM Informix JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.informix.jar

Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

Below is a sample variable assignment, including a typical JDBC connection string:

jdbc_url = "jdbc:informix:Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;"

Access IBM Informix data in Python

With the JDBC URL configured, you only need the absolute path to the JDBC driver JAR file, which is in the "lib" folder in the installation directory ("C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.informix.jar" on Windows).

NOTE: If you haven't already, set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to the Java installation directory.

Use code similar to the follow to read and print data from IBM Informix:

import jaydebeapi #The JDBC connection string jdbc_url = "jdbc:informix:Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;" username = "****" password = "****" #The absolute Path to the JDBC driver JAR file, typically: jdbc_driver_jar = "C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.informix.jar" conn = jaydebeapi.connect( "cdata.jdbc.informix.InformixDriver", jdbc_url, [username, password], jdbc_driver_jar, ) cursor = conn.cursor() cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM Books;") results = cursor.fetchall() for row in results: print(row) cursor.close() conn.close()

Free trial & more information

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for IBM Informix and start working with your live IBM Informix data in Python. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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