InterBase Quick Start

You learn to create data structures that enforce referential integrity constraints and maintain security. You populate your tables, create triggers and stored procedures, and learn a number of techniques for retrieving the data with precision.

This Quick Start takes you step-by-step through the process of creating and using a database. Instructions for using either the InterBase IBConsole dialog or Command-line iSQL are included.

The InterBase Console

InterBase provides an intuitive graphical user interface, called IBConsole, with which you can perform every task necessary to configure and maintain an InterBase server, to create and administer databases on the server, and to execute interactive SQL (isql). IBConsole enables you to:

• Manage server security
• Back up and restore a database
• Monitor database performance
• View server statistics
• Perform database maintenance, including:
• Validating the integrity of a database
• Sweeping a database
• Recovering transactions that are “in limbo”

IBConsole runs on Windows, but can manage databases on any server on the local network. Note: Instructions for IBConsole will be shown Teal

The Command-line isql Tool

Command-line isql is a utility for processing SQL data definition (DDL) and data manipulation (DML) statements from interactive input or from a source file. It enables you to create and view metadata, add and modify data, grant user permissions, test queries, and perform database administration tasks. This section provides an introduction to using isql. For a description of the standard SQL commands available in isql, see the Language Reference. For a description of special isql commands, see “isql Command Reference” on page 11-30. You can use isql in the following ways:

• Interactively to process SQL statements, by entering statements at the isql prompt
• Noninteractively to process SQL statements in a file

Note: Instructions for Comand-line iSQL will be shown in Maroon

Tutorial Table of Contents

There are six parts in this tutorial:

• Introduction
  • Finding the Files You Need
  • Printing Conventions
  • Syntax Conventions
  • Understanding Which Parts to Do
• Part I
  • Install InterBase
  • Start the InterBase Server
  • Connect to a Server from IBConsole
  • Create a New User
  • Create a Database
• Part II
  • Database Design
  • An Overview of SQL
  • Creating Domains
  • Data Definition Files
  • Running an SQL Script
  • Creating Tables
  • Primary Keys and Foreign Keys
  • Backing Up a Database
  • Creating Tables with a Script
  • Creating Views
• Part III
  • Inserting Data
  • Updating Data
  • Deleting Data
• Part IV
  • Overview of SELECT
  • Removing Duplicate Rows with DISTINCT
  • Using the WHERE Clause
  • Using Subqueries
  • Using Aggregate Functions
  • Grouping and Ordering Query Results
  • Joining Tables
  • Formatting Data
• Part V
  • Access Privileges
  • Triggers and Stored Procedures

Advance To:

• Introduction