Hi,

> So, the question is, can FB be viewed as a stepping stone to 7.1
> like IB 6.0 is? I don't expect the FB developers to agree with
> that. So an upgrade path that includes FB isn't all that obvious,
> if you're loyal to Borland in all other ways.

If option upgrading to IB 7.1 is available, then go this way. If you
switch to FB, and start using FB features, upgrade to IB 7.1 will not
be so easy - they're becoming more and more different.

Also, AFAIK most of the IB library developers also support FB
(IBObjects, FIBPlus, InterXpress, etc.). The only exception that I'm
aware of is IBX. So, question would be: "what is cheaper - to pay for
components and do not pay for server deployment, or pay for server
deployment and do not pay for components?".

> In fact, for a shop like ours, it's downright nasty. We deploy IB
> 6.0 on all our customer's systems. What would a path like IB 5.5 >
> IB 6.0 > FB 1.0 > IB 7.1 look like from a testing and Q/A
> standpoint?

I think IB 6.0 -> FB 1.0 -> IB 7.1 in order to work with JayBird makes
no sense, because at the end you will have to upgrade to InterClient
4. So, even if JayBird team fixed bugs that InterClient 2.x has, most
likely, at the end you will have to workaround them (I do not expect
that IC4 has fixed them all).

> I don't expect anyone to know - that's our job to discover. Can we
> post complaints to Borland when IB > FB > IB problems pop up? Not
> likely. So we'd be on our own.

IB 6.0 -> FB 1.x - yes. FB 1.x - IB 7.x - most likely no, I do not
think there's a lot of IB 7.x users here. Anyway, this is not
appropriate group, Firebird-Support is the one.

Best regards,
Roman Rokytskyy