Features Available in All Dialects
Go Up to Features and Dialects
The following new features are available in both dialect 1 and dialect 3:
Contents
- 1 IBConsole, InterBase’s Graphical Interface
- 2 Read-only Databases Feature
- 3 Altering Column Definitions
- 4 Altering Domain Definitions
- 5 The EXTRACT() Function
- 6 SQL Warnings
- 7 The Services API, Install API, and Licensing API
- 8 New gbak Functionality
- 9 InterBase Express™ (IBX) Feature
- 10 Advance To:
IBConsole, InterBase’s Graphical Interface
IBConsole, InterBase graphical user interface, combines the functionality of the older Server Manager and InterBase Windows isql. You now create and maintain databases, configure and maintain servers, and execute interactive SQL from one integrated interface.
Read-only Databases Feature
You can make InterBase 6 and later databases be read-only. This permits distribution on read-only media such as CDROMs and reduces the chance of accidental or malicious changes to databases.
Altering Column Definitions
The ALTER COLUMN clause of the ALTER TABLE statement can change a name, data type, or position of a column.
Altering Domain Definitions
ALTER DOMAIN now includes the ability to change the name or data type of a domain definition.
The EXTRACT() Function
The new EXTRACT() function extracts information from the new DATE, TIMESTAMP, and TIME data types. In dialect 1, you can use it to extract information from the TIMESTAMP data type.
- Note:
DATEis new in the sense that it has a different meaning in dialect 3 databases than it did previously.
SQL Warnings
The InterBase API function set now returns warnings and informational messages along with error messages in the status vector.
The Services API, Install API, and Licensing API
InterBase now provides three new function libraries. The Services API, which is part of the InterBase client library, provides functions for database maintenance tasks, software activation, requesting information about the configuration of databases and server, and working with user entries in the security database.
New gbak Functionality
In InterBase 6 and later, the functionality of gbak has been extended. gbak can now perform all of the following actions:
- Back up to multiple files and restore to multiple files.
- Perform server-side backups and restores using the -
serviceswitch. - Set databases to read-only mode when restoring.
InterBase Express™ (IBX) Feature
IBX provides native Delphi components for InterBase data access, services, and installation. Embarcadero C++Builder also can access IBX components.