peter_jacobi.rm wrote:

> This page contains information about loadable charsets and collations:
> http://www.ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&l=;IBPHOENIX.PAGES;NAME='ibp_collation'
> A newer (?) version can be found at:
> http://www.brookstonesystems.com/

Thank you! A lot of information, I'll need some time to digest this. :)

> When compiling for Firebird 1.5, some changes have to be made,
> it's on another computer, ask if info is needed.

I am interested primarily in Firebird 1.5 so yes, I'd need the
additional info if the collations for 1.0 and 1.5 differ in implementation.

> Perhaps we should start raising virtual hands on the Developer or
> Architecture list, to gather a large and diverse enough group to
> start this task?
>
> Some questions about backward compatibility and integration
> in the project must be addressed first. Character set defining,
> conversion and upper/lowercasing is the easy part then.

Whow, you're game, no doubt about it. ;) I am just starting to get
familiar with the Firebird internals so I don't see myself as someone
credible enough to talk about things you mentioned yet. Of course I'm
interested, I'll probably implement collation(s) I need one way or the
other, it's just that you've offered me to fly a plane when I've never
seen a cockpit in my life yet.

> The big task is defining the collations - I'm wondering if
> it is legal to 'steal' them from Java or the GNU C RTL, as both
> seem to implement a large deal of them.

To 'steal' the ideas yes, they almost certainly aren't patented, but to
copy&paste sections of code could be problematic as I'm not sure whether
the licenses are compatible.
As far as I can see, getting information about collations
("repertoires", uppercasing, sort order) shouldn't be that difficult
with this huge thing called Internet. :]

-AlesS