--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Adrian Wreyford"
<wreymed@...> wrote:

>
> Hi, I hope I'm asking this in the correct place.
>
>
>
> I need to somehow test for the version of Firebird running on a PC,

during

> installation of my application.
>
> Is there a registry key, that I can test for?
>

You could always connect to the database. If that fails, it is not
installed on the default port. If it works, try and run a query using
some new FB2 feature like execute block or derived tables. If it
fails, it isn't FB2.

>
>
> If Firebird isn't installed, then default action .. install firebird2.0

Fine by me

>
> If any prior version is installed ..Stop firebird service .. uninstall
> firebird, then install fb2.0
>

Whoa. Not so fast there.

Your installer will break third party applications if they are not FB
2 ready (which includes at least one module in my app). Your software
should not pretend it 'owns' the default instance of the database
server. I know if our customers on a whim decided to upgrade the
server without checking and then encountered a support issue because
something stopped working, they would be charged for the support time,
and when they do finally figure out the server version is changed,
they will uninstall and reinstall the original version, which might
break your app.

Instead I suggest you investigate installing whatever version you want
to run on using a custom port, which you would be free to shutdown,
install, whatever as you please. Leave the decision of the default
install version to the DBA.

Of course our app (as with all active projects) is making changes to
queries to support FB 2, but when we get there we will not be assuming
that 1.5 can be uninstalled on a shared server.

Adam