I'm trying to load some fairly large tables. The process will be run
daily for quite a few tables. Run time is important. In order to
minimize run time, the external tables are defined with smallint,
integer, bigint and decimal columns. This reduces the time it takes
to create the external tables and presumably the time it will take
Firebird to insert the data from these tables into corresponding
internal tables.

I'd appreciate if you could point me to any documentation on defining
external tables with these column types as well as columns defined as
date.

Here are some specific questions:

1. What are the alignment requirements for date, decimal, smallint,
bigint, integer and char data items?

2. How must a decimal(x, y) field appear in the external table?

3. How must a date field appear in the external table?

4. How must a time field appear in the external table?

5. Is there a limit on the number of columns in an external table?

6. Is there documentation on external tables that answer any of these
questions?