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PROJECTS AND CONTACTS

has begun the job of coordinating the sourcecoders and the builds. He will be getting up a read-wite CVS tree ready for new contributions but there will be a hiatus for a while to get all contributed code into sync with the released sources.

LINUX :: Mark's specialty is the Linux builds.

WIN32 :: is doing the custodianship for the Win32 builds. Contact for Win32 builds and debugging is via the ib-build list.

FREEBSD :: Geoffrey Speicher has completed IB6 Classic port to FreeBSD 4.x and has testers thrashing it now. Contact via the ib-build list.
 Package available, download here.
It can be added with 'pkg_add' just like any other FreeBSD package.
It installs into /usr/local/interbase and makes the following symlinks:
??????/usr/interbase -> /usr/local/interbase
??????/usr/local/lib/libgds.so -> /usr/interbase/lib/gds.so
??????/usr/local/lib/libgds_pyxis.a -> /usr/interbase/lib/gds_pyxis.a

JAVA :: is doing the coordination for the InterClient/InterServer builds and Java tools development.

New Mail List for Java Tools Development & InterClient/InterServer ::

TOOLS DEVELOPMENT - IBCONSOLE/WISQL REPLACEMENT :: is forming the team for this project. Contact only via the IBDI list, for the time being, unless you are ready to join the team.

LINUX TOOLS FOR INTERBASE? :: is coordinating. Join the if you are interested in working in this project. Those covered by the NDA for the Kylix field testing, please contact Louis directly.

IB 6 PORT TO NOVELL NETWARE :: and Mervin Pearce are forming this team. Contact only via the IBDI list, for the time being, unless you are ready to join the team.

These leaders are volunteers who all have full-time jobs. Please be considerate and don't email them privately unless you are volunteering for a task. Post all questions to the appropriate list.

IB-SCHEMA :: Working name for a multi-part project being coordinated by Dalton Calford. To get involved or to look at what's going on, subscribe to the project's .

It will be moving onto SourceForge in a few days when the active developers have finished voting on a licensing scheme.

Currently, the tools under development are:

  • IBRad :: allows you to create tables as visual entities, type in a list of fields, move the entities around the work surface, draw relationships between the entities, create notes, procedures etc, all without worrying about domain names or data types. It does not touch a physical database and does not have any data connection objects in it (no IBX, BDE or IBO).

    The RAD will generate the actual schema code to create the final database and print the documentation. It can read a schema file and create the diagrams as specified.

  • IBScripter :: Reads a schema file, and applies the DDL and DML statements as specified. The scripter needs data connection objects.

  • IBExtractor :: The extractor reads an IB database, and creates a schema file that matches the extended syntax of this project. The extractor needs data connection objects.

  • IBDiff :: Produces patches for an online database. If the RAD changes an operating database's design, the diff compares the schema from the active database to the schema generated by the RAD. The diff would then create a schema file to change the active database to be like the RAD's design.
All the tools rely upon the schema files, which are just like metadata extracts but with extra syntax added. Each schema file is a simple text file that can be edited with any text editor.

Using third party tools like Marathon, the developer can test the proposed changes to a live local database before putting it into the main project.

Documentation

New mailing list for Builds - information and reports - subscribe here. It is vital to get your docs here and to keep work coordinated, so please do subscribe if you are working on builds, debugging, etc.. NO SUPPORT OR INSTALLATION QUESTIONS ON BINARIES HERE, PLEASE.

This is the preferred location for build reports. If you post build or debug reports to , make sure you cross-post to the Build list. Please don't post these reports to the main support list - we must reduce the NOISE there and let the important work of peer support continue.

The DOCUMENTATION COORDINATORS are and . We'd like to hear from volunteers willing to begin collating the docs we have collected so far.

Protecting your Code

Make sure you comment each piece of code you write or modify with your own copyright notice and the full date.

Use of the InterBase? Name

8 August 2000 :: Ted Shelton (Vice-President Business Development, Inprise Corporation), who is in control of InterBase now for Inprise, has sent this response to the question of Inprise's position on the use of the word "InterBase":

"InterBase is a trademark and we have an obligation to protect that trademark. Thus, under US law, we must put in place a licensing function in order to allow InterBase to be used. Otherwise we are considered to have "abandoned" the mark."

So - please take care when using the Interbase? name.

Source Code Tree
The InterBase community's current live tree is housed for the time being on SourceForge in the Firebird project. (FirebirdAshes has been abandoned for now and may not be needed.)

For more details, jump to the Sourcecode page on this site.

Keeping the Trees in Synch

Inprise has opened its own tree on SourceForge, adding temporarily to complications for both Inprise and the Open Source community, in keeping the sources in synch. Commits are beginning to come through to both trees.

Until there is resolution of the multiple-tree situation, we have an open mailing list where the world can post details of new commits. if you are an active contributor to the public Open Source InterBase? tree or to Inprise's tree.

Community documenters are constructing a web page where commits will be chronicled as they are posted. More community volunteers are needed to help with downloading the missing source code pieces as the appear. Please contact if you can spare some time to help with this.
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