Connecting to an IBM data server database with PHP (PDO)

Before you can issue SQL statements to create, update, delete, or retrieve data, you must connect to a database. You can use the PHP Data Objects (PDO) interface for PHP to connect to an IBM® data server database through either a cataloged connection or a direct TCP/IP connection. To improve performance, you can also create a persistent connection.

To connect to an IBM data server database:

1. Create a connection to the database by calling the PDO constructor within a try{} block. Pass a DSN value that specifies ibm: for the PDO_IBM extension, followed by either a cataloged database name or a complete database connection string for a direct TCP/IP connection.
   • (Windows): By default, the PDO_IBM extension uses connection pooling to minimize connection resources and improve connection performance.
   • (Linux and UNIX): To create a persistent connection, pass array(PDO::ATTR_PERSISTENT => TRUE) as the driver_options (fourth) argument to the PDO constructor.
2. Optional: Set error handling options for the PDO connection in the fourth argument to the PDO constructor:
   • By default, PDO sets an error message that can be retrieved through PDO::errorInfo() and an SQLCODE that can be retrieved through PDO::errorCode() when any error occurs; to request this mode explicitly, set PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_SILENT
   • To issue a PHP E_WARNING when any error occurs, in addition to setting the error message and SQLCODE, set PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_WARNING
   • To throw a PHP exception when any error occurs, set PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION
3. Catch any exception thrown by the try{} block in a corresponding catch {} block.

   For more information about the PDO API, see http://php.net/manual/en/book.pdo.php.

try { 
  $connection = new PDO("ibm:SAMPLE", "db2inst1", "ibmdb2", array(
    PDO::ATTR_PERSISTENT => TRUE, 
    PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION)
  ); 
}
catch (Exception $e) {
  echo($e->getMessage());
}