Rafael,

Thanks for your feedback it was interesting reading.

With respect to your comment about Firebird dropping support for
Windows, nothing could be further from the truth.

While it might seem that most of the recent Firebird postings are
related to *nix issues, that's only because most of the recent effort
has been in fixing build issues and porting the server to new platforms.
The windows port was complete when the source was released so no real
issues have been found.


Sean

-----Original Message-----
From: rafael_t_bratti@...
[mailto:rafael_t_bratti@...]
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2001 12:37 PM
To: IBDI@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [IBDI] A question about the Interbase-BR
egroup/yahoogroups list




Hello, My name is Rafael. I´m a Brazilian Delphian / Interbase
Developer. I "lurk" in some mailing-list about Interbase, some of them
in
Portuguese.

I bit of my story:
I start developing applications when I was only 10 years,
implementing
stuffs that, in that time, where very nice (like using mouse in the old
Turbo-Basic).
My first Windows RAD were Visual Basic, but I switch to Delphi-16
bits as
soon as I noticed VB couln´d compile a full EXE.
See, I were always against the use of packges, ocx, dll, etc,
prefering,
even nowadays, to deliver a full EXE. Only in spetial cases I use DLLs.
(Ask
Microsoft
if they are concerned about the application size)
A few years ago I started to develop database programs. I never
have a
chance to use Interbase in that time, since the Delphi examples of using
Interbase
where too poor, week, and ugly, so I don´t get excited of learning it.
Well, for
my
unfortune I started to use Paradox... uek.
When my first multi-user application broke (index etc..) I started
to learn
a DB program called PostgreSQL in Linux. The program is fine,
Open-Sourced
and it where doing OK.

It took me 6 month to learn Linux from nothing, compile and install
kernels,
install Postgres, connect it to Internet, develop my first back-end and
front-end.
And that time, my Linux´s HD blew off. I think to myself, try to
install it
again (read all that weird HOW-TO again), etc, or use a Windows DB.

Guess what? I started to use Interbase for Windows and were really
amazed how it is so much better that postgres:

Just install, create database and USE. No more kernell
compilations,
strange user setup to get Postgres to run. No modifications to Linux
autorun
files, etc.
In a few weeks I convert my postgres database to Interbase, and
I´m so
happy, that I think that I´ll never switch to any other. And now it is
Free, and
Open-source
too.

I consider myself a very experimented user, and, considering the
BAD
experience
I have with Linux, I have no feer to say DO NOT USE IT. Use Interbase
for
Windows ;)


So, Sean, my considerations about Interbase x FireBird are these:

I believe that only now people here in Brazil (with "z" uek) are
been
informed
about the EXISTANCE of Firebird. I only understand that there were too
groups
developing
Interbase a few month ago...
If having too developers group this is a good thing? I don´t know.
I
believe that
splited work is fine, but the final objective should be only one:
Produce the
best DBA ever,
free and only having one version.
I don´t believe that Borland has this in mid, obviously they plan
to profit
over Interbase,
and in somehow they are right. It is they´re product. (Sorry Ann and
Jim).
But when they dicided to let Interbase to Open-Source, Borland
should be
more
interested in helping the community involved, and not create a "new
competitor".
Borland
could profit more with other Developer´s tools that use Interbase then
with
Interbase itself...

From now one, I will use Firebird (at least the license will not
expire in
the next few
month and there is no limited users, I believe, and of couse, it is
free).
My only fear is that Firebird stop Windows development, since it
SEAMS that
the
developing effords are concentrated in Linux version. But, I hope that
I´m wrong
:)
There is another point. I use IBX to connect to Interbase. Will it
be
compatible with
both, Interbase and Firebird?
Other point that I posted in some mailling list: Been Interbase
Dba-less It
could be
delivered for even small application (I´ll use it for sure), but the
code and
data security seams
to me that are too weak. You can change the SYSDBA password, but anyone
copying
the gdb
file to a self-installed Interbase can open it, see what are the
compounding
tables (and its fields),
procedures, triggers, etc. IMHO the gdb should be password-locked and
encryted.
OK, anyone
with Interbase could breake the validation password, but it is much more
secure
than in the way
it is now.

And please, stop calling Firebird version 0.9 :)
Version 0.xx seams so ridiculous that if you don´t know what
Firebird is
for advance, you
would never use it. What would you prefer: (Application 2000), or
(Application
v0.9) ?
Let the Firebird-Phoenix rebirth in style. :)

Well, sorry for being so long, but when asked I like to answer :)
Again sorry for the long text, but at least I can practice my (Bad)
english
writing :)

Best regards,
Rafael Bratti!

"Delphi+Interbase o meio para todos os fins"

or in english:
"Delphi+Interbase a way for any goal"






"Leyne, Sean" <sleyne@...> on 01/02/2001 12:58:43

Please respond to IBDI@yahoogroups.com

To: "Developers Initiative IB (E-mail)" <IBDI@yahoogroups.com>
cc: (bcc: Rafael T Bratti/Multibras)
Subject: [IBDI] A question about the Interbase-BR egroup/yahoogroups
list


Community email addresses:
Post message: IBDI@onelist.com
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List owner: IBDI-owner@onelist.com

Shortcut URL to this page:
http://www.onelist.com/community/IBDI

All,

I was surfing the IBDI site and went to the mailing page and noticed the
mention of the Portuguese/Brazilian list.

I was curious to see how much activity there was, to I when to the
egroups site and to my amazement I found that in the month on Jan this
list had month 2000 messages!!!

Accordingly, could someone give me a sense of general "level" of the
questions being asked and of the "mood" of the Brazilian users towards
Interbase vs. Firebird.

Just curious.


Sean