At 02:56 PM 24-01-02 -0500, Harold D. Ausfresser wrote:

>I'm looking for some guidance. I'm using Delphi6 Pro and I want to start using Firebird. I've written database programs before using Paradox, Access and client-server Advantage.
>1. Can I use the IB components in Delphi6?

Yes, it is feasible at present, although IBX does not support Firebird language or API enhancements.

>Pros

It is free and you can download bug-fixes from the Borland Community site.
It is pretty dependent on the client-centric TClientDataset approach so (ongoing support apart) it might be the right choice for lower-featured distributed database solutions, as contrasted with client/server solutions.

>& Cons?

Philosophical - future support of Firebird features is unlikely.
Technical - it is a very "bare-bones" alternative to the BDE, requiring a lot of handler code to be written, even just to recover the capabilities of an equivalent BDE application.
Dependency on the Delphi VCL.
Poor support for developers.

>2. Am I better off using FIBPlus (or some other third-party components)?

Yes. It is recommended that you evaluate the third-party alternatives in terms of your requirements. Each takes a different approach to achieve the objective of connectivity through the Firebird API.

>3. Any recommended books etc relating to Firebird and Delphi?

Not at present. Your best resource is the IBPhoenix site, which provides a lot of documentation resources for both Firebird and InterBase. A number of people in the community run resource sites - you will find links to them at the IBPhoenix site too. http://www.ibphoenix.com

The Firebird web site (click the link in my sig, below) maintains a documentation index.

Claudio Valderrama maintains an eclectic site with a lot of very useful white papers, tools and links. http://www.cvalde.com

regards,
Helen

All for Open and Open for All
Firebird Open SQL Database · http://firebirdsql.org
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