On Wednesday 2001-08-29 at 07:08:40 +1000, Adam Clarke wrote:

>
> > 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.

On the other hand, IBPerl has always been the best Perl interface to
InterBase. Bill Karwin did a great job with it, and it's very easy to
use. The DBI interface is very generic and "lowest common
denominatorish", and it is my understanding that IBPerl makes
available several useful InterBase features that are not available to DBI
programmers.

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

Perhaps Bill is currently busy with other things, but he has recently,
with help from others, I believe, improved the Windows support
situation (now works with ActivePerl, for instance). I'm sure there
would be plenty around who would be willing to take up the IBPerl
torch if Bill were no longer in a position to do so.

>
> * 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

IBPerl is also "The Perl Way" if you want the most out of InterBase,
and aren't too concerned with using any old random database backend.

> 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.

IBPerl will, with any necessary changes, work fine in Perl 6, just as
it now does in Perl 5.

David Trudgett