Connect to IBM Informix Data in JRuby

JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for IBM Informix makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live IBM Informix data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to IBM Informix data, executes a query, and displays the results.

Configure a JDBC Connection to IBM Informix Data

Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for IBM Informix\lib).

JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to IBM Informix and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.

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 typical JDBC connection string for IBM Informix:

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

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to IBM Informix Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: InformixSelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:

require 'java'
require 'rubygems'
require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for IBM Informix 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.informix.jar'

url = "jdbc:informix:Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT Id, Price FROM Books")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

With the file completed, you are ready to display your IBM Informix data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:

jruby -S InformixSelect.rb

Writing SQL-92 queries to IBM Informix allows you to quickly and easily incorporate IBM Informix data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!