--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, Nando Dessena <nandod@d...>
wrote:

> Isn't the server supposed to disallow modifications that would lead

to

> possible data loss?

Nando, IMO it is gbak problem. Engine don't vaste time (and
sometimes very large) to update data itself and IMO this is right. IMO
this old utility deadly retarded from engine itself and don't conform
to today's requirements. I told this probably 20 times already but
seems this task is not interesting one. Let's discuss grant for gbak
improvement in another place later ;)

> AFAIK is does so with numerics and strings.

I'm not so sure. BTW, I very seldom is forced to change types so
perhaps retarded from modern state of this subject. Try to _reduce_,
not increase, CHAR size and make b/r not updating column to itself :)
I think DATE-TIMESTAMP change should be safe too, but not
TIMESTAMP-DATE.

Best regards,
Alexander.