I have done a little review this PM, try to assess what it would take to
add new functions to be basic syntax of IB.

I've had a "bee in my bonet" since I started using IB (in 1994) about
the limited language available with the base engine. I have always
liked the UDF functionality but have always maintained that UDF should
be for custom developer requirements, not basic operations. Well now
that the source is released, I felt that it was time to "put up or
shutup"

That being said...

It was my initial observation that the definitions for the server
functions (ie. the new EXTRACT function) is spread throught the code.
In my review, I found the EXTRACT function defined in 20 separate files,
accross 4 different modules (dsql, gpre, jrd and qli). This would
suggest that adding new functions would involve a wide-scale
modification/implementation.

I was hoping to find a single structure (some type of metadata) which
would define the functions and then be used to create the necessary code
stubs -- but then again I'm not a C programmer, so what do I know!.

Is this assessment correct, or have I missed something?


Sean