Firebird database?

[Savant]

This is almost off topic for this forum but databases aren't completely outside the realm of game development, especially if you're doing an RPG or something.

Does anyone have any real world experience with the Firebird database? I've been looking around for a stand alone database engine that I could use for various purposes. Firebird supports distribution by simply including 2 DLL's in the game directory which seems ideal but I'm not 100% sure that there's not going to be some "gotcha" later on.

Anyone have any input on Firebird or something comparable?

[Jason Chong]

Firebird is basically your Interbase opensourced at version 6.0.

Basically it's one of the most nimble/compact sql server type of database engine, fit for use even in the m1 tanks. :D

Short of the lack of a good free client/gui tool (plenty of affordable commercial clients available) I really can't fault it much, since it's a full blown sql engine compared to mysql 4.x. The utf-8 support is not properly done until version 2.0 though. I'll wait for 2.0 to be final first before I make any further investigation on it.

The other one to look out for (with good BSD style license) is postgresql. That one is another good full-featured engine with good free client gui tools.
I am currently sold on postgresql, and it's now my primary sql engine over mysql. Not game related, I do web apps as well in PHP so I am favoring postgresql over mysql for any serious enterprise level work using php.

In my opinion, for the best free enterprise level sql servers, the best ones are Postgresql, followed by Firebird.

Mysql doesn't even come into the picture because of it's licensing issues and the features are not up to par (v5.0 is fixing that features problem but the license is still not cheap and not free for commercial use)

If all you want is some way to store data in a database and not all those advanced features, I suggest you look at sqlite (http://www.sqlite.org/) instead.

[jankoM]

If you want an embeded db in your app (not separate db-server) the far most used is I think SQLite (has many nice features (ACID, no-config, fast, binary indepedant and is very minimal)). I used it in 2 biz apps and some game I was just trying to make (btw I was doing queries in real time) and I can only find good words for it.

Firebird is I think more known as server and is open sourced interbase if I remember correctly. I tried some stuff with it but nothing serious.

edit: ok, Jason was faster than me

[Savant]

Thanks for the info so far!

What really appeals to me about Firebird, and I should have mentioned this so I apologize, is that it has a .NET/C# interface to it which makes my life easier. SQLite would have to be dramatically better before I went about wrapping up it's C interface and doing "unsafe" code blocks and all that jazz.

[Savant]

OK, so I was sloppy. :) I see that SQLite and PostgreSQL have C# interfaces available for seperate download so that removes that problem.

I guess my main decision tree comes down to this then: Distribution. I know that with Firebird I can include 2 DLL's in my application directory and everything will work. The user doesn't have to install a server or data sources or anything like that. It "just works".

Are those other databases in the same boat or do they require user install gymnastics?

[Jason Chong]

I don't think postgresql is like that. I think you're using the embedded firebird where the server/engine is integrated with the app through dll.

http://www.firebirdsql.org/manual/fbmetasecur-embedded.html
http://www.codeproject.com/cs/database/EmbeddedFirebird.asp


SQLite is the other one able to do what you want.

PostgreSQL is full featured, it's a server based sql engine. It's your heavy weight free opensource sql server for taking on MS Sql server and the likes of it.

[Savant]

Yeah, the Code Project article is where I began this journey. Heh.

Thanks for the info, Jason, I appreciate you taking the time. I'll look into SQLite and as a fallback go with Firebird.

[Tom Cain]

I'm using SQLite in a Mac game and it works great. I use this free front-end client to help work with the databases:

http://sqlitebrowser.sourceforge.net/

[Savant]

Nice! Thanks Tom, that'll be VERY useful...

[Savant]

To bring this thread to a close, SQLite looks like it'll work beautifully. Thanks again all!