Setting isql Client Dialect
Go Up to Command-line isql Tool
To use isql
to create a database in a particular dialect, first set isql
to the desired dialect and then create the database. You can set isql
dialect the following ways:
- On the command line, start
isql
with option-sql_dialect
n, where n is 1, 2, or 3:
isql -sql_dialect n
- Within an
isql
session or in a SQL script, include the following statement:
SET SQL DIALECT n;
isql
dialect precedence is as follows:
- Lowest: Dialect of an attached version 6 or later database
- Next lowest: Dialect specified on the command line
- Next highest: Dialect specified during the session
- Highest: Dialect of an attached Version 5 database (=1)
In InterBase, isql
has the following behavior with respect to dialects:
- If you start
isql
and attach to a database without specifying a dialect,isql
takes on the dialect of the database. - If you specify a dialect on the command line when you invoke
isql
, it retains that dialect after connection unless explicitly changed. - When you change the dialect during a session using SET SQL DIALECT n,
isql
continues to operate in that dialect until it is explicitly changed. - When you create a database using
isql
, the database is created with the dialect of theisql
client; for example, ifisql
has been set to dialect 1, when you create a database, it is a dialect 1 database. - If you create a database without first specifying a dialect for the
isql
client or attaching to a database,isql
creates the database in dialect 3.
The statements above are true whether you are running
isql
as a command-line utility or accessing it through IBConsole.
- Important: Any InterBase
isql
client that attaches to a Version 5 database resets to dialect 1.