http://www.ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&page=ibp_other_links

That page has a list of links to related projects, for various reasons. You can use firebird in any
environment which provides (or can provide) interfaces with which to talk to the database.

Python has support for firebird through Kinterbasdb

Perl has support through DBD::Interbase:db (or somesuch -- I'm no perl programmer)

PHP has support through the ibase_ functions (which I use directly), you can also use abstractions
like ADO and PEAR, from what I hear.

The API itself is directly available in C and C++, and anything that can load C libraries. It's a C
library, so expect what comes with that (lots of calls, lots of parameters, lots of pointers, but
damn fast.)

There are several client libraries for C/C++ that should be quite usable in a web-programming
environment, if you don't want to use the API directly.

IBX still works (at least for me) in Borland Builder, and though I've never used it, there's some
sort of feature in Builder for making web applications?

Mono/.NET support for Firebird apparently exists through some sort of data provider module. Looks
like it's available through Firebird's sourceforge project page, at least according to something on
Mono's page.

Java support for Firebird comes at least through JayBird, a JCA-JDBC module. I hear it works,
though my brother tells me he hears them constantly talking of refactoring everything. Some people
just can't stop themselves ...

You can also get to Firebird through ColdFusion via either a JDBC driver (JayBird) or an ODBC
driver, which you can find somewhere.

...

I've not heard anything about javascript's ability to talk to a database server. ASP can use ODBC
sources (from a quick googling) so the same applies here as elsewhere. As I recall, ASP is now
available for free via Apache? I suppose that's now an option, if you really must.

...

As to free: you can compile java programs for free (if nothing else, using gcc under various OS's),
php/perl/python interpreters are freely available, apache webserver is free, you can load C/C++
modules or CGI programs under apache (which can be compiled for free), ...

And unlike MySQL, none of these tools have a price tag when you decide not to release your code
under the GPL, or want to make money using them. That's a bonus.

None of this yet relates to ease of development: you mention Clarion and Macromedia, so you
obviously have some interest in IDE's to help you along. Most of these won't provide that. But they
are free, there is some documentation (PHP.net's documentation for ibase_ functions still needs to
be fixed, they told me they'd do that two years ago) and it's free (no cost to try it out.)

I can personally vouch for coding in PHP and C++, talking to Firebird. Seems to work fine for web
stuff -- for a while our website (www.pseudotheos.com) was slow, but that was because of my (mis-)
use of PHP, not by any fault of the DBMS. (More of a mis-use of object-oriented programming than
anything else.)

Now you just need to decide what you want to do with it. I believe it's Paul Beach who is
maintaining the list of websites that use Firebird? If you get something going, it likely wouldn't
hurt to let him know and get added. Happy customers are always a good thing.

Happy coding!

-Philip


---------- Original Message -----------
From: "Johan van Zyl" <johan@...>

> Hi
> I made a discovery - I always thought that if one wanted to use
> JavaScript or PHP etc. that one had to buy something first - like
> spending dollars to obtain say JavaScript like one would buy Clarion.
> Now I see you just use it in your HTML code!
> I read that php and mySQL is supposed to be a very good combo to use
> for the Internet!
> I would like to use Firebird.
> What is reccomended to use with Firebird - can I use Clarion and just
> Clarion or PHP, Perl, JaveScript, CSS, ASP(wich one?) or a mixture of
> some of these. And does one have to buy any of these?
> I have the Macromedia MX Suite - not 2004 - the one before that.
> What are the pros and cons to all of this?
> JVZ
> ---

------- End of Original Message -------