----- Original Message -----
From: "Helen Borrie" <helebor@...>
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 1:31 AM


> I don't know anything about the DBI but I suggest you contact the author
(see the Tools | Drivers page on the interbase2000 site, Edwin Pratomo). I
have the latest Firebird happily installed on my Linux box but I access it
from Delphi applications, not DBI at the moment.

A slight technical correction here. Edwin Pratomo is not the author of DBI,
Tim Bunce with the assistance of others is. Edwin wrote (with the assistance
of others) a DBD (Data Base Driver) which allows DBI to use Interbase as a
back end. This is the fundamental model of DBI and as such is very powerful.
Most of the had work is done in a shared module (DBI) then specific database
drivers are written within a set framework. This allows for a "many hands
make light work" model for DBI development, while allowing those who need to
scratch a particluar database itch develop the specifics for that DB.

> You might like to look at IBPerl, if you haven't tried it yet. It's on
the Tools | Programming Interfaces page.

I suggest you stick to DBD::Interbase. Here are my reasons, in no particular
order.

* IBPerl is not currently being actively developed AFAIK and right now
www.karwin.com is not even accessible.

* We have been using DBD::Interbase and it has been picking up steam (in
terms of development activity) consistently over the last 12 months. We have
found it to be stable for our needs. It is being used in a browser
accessible client information system for non government aid organisation, so
is in use in a mission critical application.

* Doing Database development via DBI::DBD is "The Perl Way" and despite the
fact that "there is more than one way to do it" (TIMTOWTDI), using DBD
allows for easier porting to other databases and easier access to other Perl
developers who are already familiar with the DBI way. The DBI has books and
reams of on line information dedicated to it. Tim Bunce the author of DBI
has been actively working on, thinking and writing about DBI for some years
now and receives input from many talented individuals towards the design and
implementation of DBI.

* Perl 6 (not 5.6) is currently being designed from the ground up. While it
is a couple of years away from being used in a stable application, it is
slated to include native database access. Guess what the most likely
contender for that framework is.

---

As for your question about why DBD::Interbase wants to have IB installed,
Helen answered that in her e-mail. You must have the client libs on the
client machine for DBD::Interbase to work, this is the case for most DBD's
and is also the case for IBPerl. You do not need to be running the server on
the client machines.

Cheers
Adam Clarke
Interbase user, Perl zealot.