FireBird! (no Virginia, not the browser)

1. Gurunandan R. Bhat Synapse FireBird! (no Virginia, not the browser)

2. Some History..... • 25 July 2000 • Borland (or Inprise...or whatever) releases the Source Code of Interbase 6.0 • Interbase Public License aka Mozilla License • Support to be handled by an independent company carved out of original Interbase developers • 29 July 2000 • Inprise (or Borland... or whatever) demurs – vacillates and then finally pulls plug

3. History (....contd) • 28 August 2000 • Interbase 6.0 Forks – Community takes over released code base • No Install scripts, No Makefiles, No Documentation, No Regression Suites for testing • Reborn as Firebird and makes an appearance on Sourceforge • Original Interbase developers regroup around Sourceforge • 15 September 2000 • Borland promises to support Interbase 6.0 again

4. Firebird Current Status • Version 1.5 RC7 released on 25 November 2003 • Builds and Build Kits now available for • Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, HP-UX • Windows, MacOS, Darwin, AIX, Sinix-Z

5. Firebird Features • General SQL 92 Compliance • Stored Procedures • Triggers • Variety of Bindings • PHP • Perl • C/C++ • ODBC/JDBC • Delphi 5 (MIDAS) and Delphi 7/Kylix dbExpress • Mono !

6. Firebird Features... the interesting part • Sequences available as Generators • User defined datatypes available as Domains • Procedural Language for Triggers and SPs • As powerful as PL/SQL and easier to learn • Database on a Single File • Ideal for CD based and embedded databases • Easy Replication and Backup • Easy to install • Easy to use Command line tool (isql)

7. Two Flavours1. The Classic Server (CS) • A Separate Process for every Client Connection • A Separate Database Cache for every Client Connection • Requires a Lock Manager to arbitrate between Concurrent Page Access • Multiple Processes started and configured via inetd • Ideal for a small number of concurrent connections

8. Two Flavours2. Super Server (SS) • A single server process • Each client starts a Separate Thread • No Lock Manager required for concurrent access to the same Page • Better Integrity since a single process has write access • Some Implications on User Defined Functions (UDF) • Careful whilst using global variables (Single Process shares all!) • Do not allocate dynamic memory (The Server process never dies!)

9. Installing Firebird on Linux • Download rpm from Sourceforge • Decide whether you want the Classic or the Superserver version • Install the rpm • Copy the startup script to /etc/init.d • Change the SYSDBA password • Create Users • Create Databases • Enjoy!

10. Building Your Own UDFsLimitations • You can't pass NULL to a UDF or return a NULL • Does not run inside a Transaction • Do not DDL inside a UDF

11. Building your Own UDFsFrom The Operating System Side • On the Command Line • gcc -c -O -fpic -fwritable-strings my_udf.c • ld -G my_udf.o -lm -lc -o my_udf.so • cp myudf.so /opt/firebird/UDF

12. Build Your Own UDFFrom the FireBird Side • On the SQL Command Line • declare external function myudf • integer, integer • returns • integer by value • entry_point 'modulo' module_name 'myudf'; • commit;

13. References • http://firebird.sourceforge.net • http://www.ibphoenix.com • Firebird Quick Start Guide • Interbase Manuals from Borland

14. Questions ?