At 7/5/2002 03:18 AM (Friday), csswa wrote:

>You have a long road ahead. Your mileage is directly proportional to
>the effort you put in. If you aren't prepared to sit down with the
>manuals for a few hours to begin with, don't bother. Maybe try MySQL
>or PostGre. Interbase is not a toy (as Helen is wont to say).
>Scared yet? :-) Good. That's part of the excitement.

An alternative response to the original message:

You have a bumpy road ahead. How long it is depends on how astute you are
and how willing you are to ask the right questions at the right times.

There are several aspects of Interbase/Firebird use which take some getting
used to. Interbase and Firebird are not toy databases. They pack an
enormous functionality punch in a small footprint. Consequently you might
find the freedom they offer the administrator sometimes constraining. This
is a good thing.

The admin tools which have historically come bundled are spartan. However,
there are numerous third-party tools which have appeared in recent years. I
use IBAdmin Personal Edition, myself. www.IBPhoenix.com is your friend for
finding links to these resources. This mailing list is also your friend.
Big time. We have a thriving online community ready to help.

There are many long time experts in the community how (from time to time)
do not tolerate ignorant questions well. Be prepared to look at the
available documentation first and then ask a question. You do not need to
pretend to know more than you do but please let us know that you have tried
to figure it all out first.

It would be helpful if you brushed up on some history of how Interbase
evolved and how Firebird came to be. That way you will not be lost when the
occasional reference is made to the turbulent history.

"Registering a database is a concept specific to the tool you are using. It
is not a general Interbase/Firebird concept. It just means you provide the
essential details of where the database is located (server name and
database path) and how to access it (username/password/protocol) once and
the toll will remember it for you. To work out those details check the
tool's help file and the general documentation on how to specify a database
connection string.

Ask again if you need to, providing more specific details of your situation
or a more specific question. Interbase need not be scary. We get no kicks
from making it so. Do not be deterred!