At 12:01 PM 1/02/2003 +0000, Laura wrote:

>Hello to all:
>
>I am very new to databases and need help understanding what to do or
>how to go about it. Please forgive me if I sound unlogical, but don't
>know how else to ask this questions:
>
>1- Before I download "firebird" I would like to know if once I
>download the software I can open it on my desktop(pc) in order to
>configure the features of the database.

Firebird is a client/server database management system. The server manages
one or many databases. You access the databases you create via a client
library, which is a dynamic link library (Windows) or a shared object
library (Linux, Unix, etc.) When you run the installation program, this
client library is installed in your system directory or folder.

You cannot access the database without a program that sends and receives
the correct message to and from the server. If you are familiar with
command-line programs, you can use the isql executable program that is in
the root directory of the Firebird installation. Otherwise, you need a
desktop admin program. Find these on the Downloads>Contributed page at
www.ibphoenix.com.

Clearly, you will need documentation. You could start with the Quick Start
Guide, which you can get here:
http://www.ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&page=ibp_quickstart

If you are new to databases, then you have rather a lot to learn. Find the
IB 6 beta docs on ibphoenix's Downloads>InterBase page and get the
Operations Guide, the Data Definition Guide and the Language Reference.

You will need to learn SQL. All database access and operations are via SQL
Queries.

>Or do I download it and then
>upload to my website and then I try to configure my dababase?

Erm...no, trying to run a database server on a website is not a good place
to start.

>2- Will I need other tools in order to configure database? I ask
>because I see some mention about C++Builder and Delphi.

Initially, you won't need to configure anything about Firebird. The
install defaults will work just fine. You will need to configure
TCP/IP. There are instructions in the Quickstart Guide, with more detail
in the OpsGuide.

You don't need C++Builder or Delphi to work with the database, but you will
need some application programming environment (such as one of these, or
C/C++, Java, Python, PHP, etc.) to develop application programs.

>3- I would like to create a database of my signups and payments to be
>issued to members at different levels. Can this be done using this
>software?

Firebird is certainly designed to be the back-end for such client
applications. But you cannot use the software on its own for such things.

>And how difficult would it be for a newbie???

You will need to learn to walk before you try to run. Play with the sample
database Employee.gdb interactively, using one of the admin client programs.

>Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

As you see, this reply is very high-level. It probably raises more
questions for you than answers. Keep asking. Good luck with databases and
Firebird.

heLen