> The install was fairly easy as you said. I'm not done, however. I
> was trying to figure out how to connect to the database, so I
> specified a path to the database figuring that if it didn't exist
> firebird would create the database file for me like some of the other
> embedded apps I've used. This did not seem to be the case.

Correct.

> QUESTION:
> Do I have to go through isql to create a database? Is there there a
> more transparent/embedded method?

Yes, there is class org.firebirdsql.management.FBManager, you can create
database with it.

FBManager manager = new FBManager("EMBEDDED");
manager.start();
manager.createDatabase("/path/to/your/db.fdb", null, null);
manager.stop();

The last two parameters are user name and password. If FBManager has
problems with nulls there, put some dummy values (and report a bug about
NullPointerException into the tracker).

As to the manageability. Jaybird provides classes for most database
management operations, including creating and dropping databases, backup
and restore, property management (e.g. set read only, run sweep, etc.).
Usually these operations require more application-related knowledge and
cannot be handled automatically for all cases, that is why we provide
methods to do operations, but not do them ourselves.

Roman