Phil Shrimpton wrote:

> It is certainly useful, but I don't think it should be an enhancement
> to the database, but an enhancement to the client tools (ISQL etc.)

I agree! Adding so much scripting language capability to DSQL
introduces too many other complex issues.

For instance:
o Can I have local variables in my script?
o How should the ibserver store local variables?
o How would this differ from database storage?
o Can other "scripts" access my local variables?
o When my script ends, are my variables garbage collected?
o How large a script can I submit? How about 100,000 lines of INSERT
statements?
o Is the script parsed and stored somewhere on the server while it is
executing?
o When does my script get garbage collected?

I think a client-side script language in a shell like isql (or Wisql) is
just dandy. It's not that hard to add simple structures like IF, WHILE,
local variables, local procedures, etc. to the client tool, while it
would be much more complex to add these features to DSQL.

I really wish people would stop trying to turn ibserver into a
programming environment. It's a data management engine!! Let it
remained specialized for that purpose. Leave the complex structured
programming to client application languages.

Bill Karwin