Create a new trace class

To create your own trace class, define an entry for the trace class in the systraceclasses system catalog table.

By default, all users can view this table, but only users with the DBA privilege can modify it. You can create as many trace classes as you like. The database server prevents you from creating a trace class name that is already in use.

Tip: The BladeSmith of the Informix® DataBlade Developers Kit (DBDK) can add trace messages to the systracemsgs system catalog table. For more information, see your BladeSmith documentation.

The following code fragment shows the INSERT statement that creates a trace class named funcEntry.

Figure 1. Creating the funcEntry trace class

INSERT INTO informix.systraceclasses(name)
   VALUES ('funcEntry');

When you insert a new trace class into systraceclasses, the database server assigns it a unique identifier, called a trace-class identifier. It stores this trace-class identifier in the classid column of systraceclasses.

Tip: For more information about the columns of the systraceclasses system catalog table, see the HCL Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.

The built-in tracing that the DataBlade Developers Kit (DBDK) provides assumes that you create a single trace class and that its name is the same as the name of your DataBlade module. For more information, see the HCL Informix DataBlade Developers Kit User's Guide.