The CS_CONTEXT structure defines an application context, or operating environment.
Although an application can have multiple CS_CONTEXT structures, typical applications have only one.
Applications use the CS_CONTEXT structure to define Client-Library behavior at the highest level:
CS_CONTEXT structure properties replace DB-Library hidden global variables. For example, a call to dbsettime in a DB-Library application changed a global timeout value. In a Client-Library application, setting the CS_TIMEOUT property affects only the child connections of that particular CS_CONTEXT structure.
Message and error handlers that are installed for a CS_CONTEXT structure are inherited by all CS_CONNECTIONs allocated within that CS_CONTEXT.
CS_CONTEXT can include locale information such as locale name, language, and date order.