Quote from Geoff back in February

> Find/Download the Interbase Language Reference. Part of

the IB6 beta

> documentation: http://www.interbase2000.org/ib_doc.htm

> It describes the metadata tables. To read the metadata

just select

> like in a normal table. It is NOT recommended that you

try to update

> the tables directly, just use the information to determine

whether

> changes are required. Then create the necessary SQL and

run through

> TIB_Script.

> Interbase comes with built in versioning of metadata.

This limits

> changes to system metadata to 255 occurances per item -

after which

> the database must be backed up and restored to reset the

version

> information.

> Because of these complications, you may find it easier to

build a new

> database and perform a data-transfer between the old and

new (rather

> than trying to issue alter commands that may or may not

work).

> It seems to me that this gives you more control and better

> predictability. Your update program can run a script that

creates the

> new database, then transfer data from the old database -

allowing you

> to take control over the transfer process and fill-in of

new fields

> etc.

I follow the same rules.
When you are making changes to the metadata keep the users
out, and any major updates are build as a clean database
into which data is pumped.

--
Lester Caine
-----------------------------
L.S.Caine Electronic Services