InterBase / Firebird Guide

SQLAPI++ allows to seamlessly work with a variety of SQL database servers. It provides unified API to access any database, keeping your code portable. But each server has some specific features which a developer has to know in order to leverage server's unique features and avoid potential errors.

For complete information on using SQLAPI++ check out Getting Started and Documentation. This guide covers specific information related to working with InterBase / Firebird server using SQLAPI++ library in the following areas:

• Connecting to a database
• Transaction isolation levels
• Working with Long or Lob (CLob, BLob) data
• Returning output parameters
• Cancelling queries
• Connection, command, parameter and field options
• Using native API
• Getting native connection related handles
• Getting native command related handles
• Error handling

Connecting to a database

To connect to a database you need to initialize a connection object. A connection object is represented by SAConnection class.

After the connection is created you need to call SAConnection::Connect method to establish connection with InterBase server:

void Connect(
    const SAString &sDBString,
    const SAString &sUserID, 
    const SAString &sPassword, 
    SAClient_t eSAClient = SA_Client_NotSpecified);

Parameters

sDBString

• For local InterBase databases, this can be a file name
• To connect to an InterBase database on a remote server using TCP/IP the syntax is <server_name>[/<port_number>]:<filename>
• To connect to an InterBase database on a remote server using NetBEUI, the syntax is \\<server_name>\<filename>
• To connect to an InterBase database on a remote server using SPX, the syntax is <server_name>@<filename>

sUserID

A string containing a user name to use when establishing the connection.

sPassword

A string containing a password to use when establishing the connection.

eSAClient

• SA_InterBase_Client – InterBase client
• SA_Client_NotSpecified – used by default if eSAClient parameter is omitted. You can use this default value only if you have SAConnection::setAPI method with SAPI object initialized with SA_InterBase_Client constant before

For more details see Getting Started - Connect to Database, SAConnection object, SAConnection::Connect.

Transaction isolation levels

SQL-92 defines four isolation levels, all of which are supported by SQLAPI++:

• Read uncommitted (the lowest level where transactions are isolated just enough to ensure that physically corrupt data is not read)
• Read committed
• Repeatable read
• Serializable (the highest level, where transactions are completely isolated from one another)

SQLAPI++ maps different isolation levels on InterBase / Firebird in the following way:

In addition to the SQL-92 levels, if you specify 'snapshot' isolation level, it will be mapped as: SA_Snapshot → isc_tpb_concurrency.

For more details see SAConnection::setIsolationLevel.

Working with Long or Lob (CLob, BLob) data

When fetching data SQLAPI++ detects data types of the columns in the result set and maps those types to internal library types. The mapping determines which native APIs the library will use for fetching LOB data.

The table below shows how SQLAPI++ maps InterBase server data types to Long/Lob library types:

When binding input data from your program the reverse mapping is taking place. The SQLAPI++ data type you use for input markers determines what native API program types will be used for sending Long/Lob data to the server.

For additional information see Getting Started - Handle Long/CLob/BLob.

Returning output parameters

If InterBase stored procedure returns only one row of output parameters (the most common case), you can get output parameters' values immediately after calling SACommand::Execute using appropriate SAParam objects.

InterBase stored procedures can also return several rows of output parameters. In this case you should perform a select from a procedure to return them as result set.

For additional information see SACommand::Execute, SAParam object, Getting Started - Get Output Parameters.

Cancelling queries

Using SACommand::Cancel method you can cancel the following types of processing on a statement:

• function running asynchronously on the statement
• function running on the statement on another thread

InterBase does not support cancelling queries. So if you call SACommand::Cancel it will have no effect.

For additional information see SACommand::Cancel.

Connection, command, parameter and field options

Specific options applicable to InterBase / Firebird:

For additional information see SAOptions::setOption.

Using native InterBase / Firebird API

You can call client specific API functions which are not directly supported by SQLAPI++ library. SAConnection::NativeAPI method returns a pointer to the set of native API functions available for InterBase. To use the database API directly you have to downcast this IsaAPI pointer to the appropriate type and use its implementation-specific members. The following example shows what type cast you have to make and what additional header file you have to include to work with InterBase / Firebird API. Note that using appropriate type casting depends on an API (that generally mean that you have to explicitly check client version before casting, see SAConnection::ClientVersion method).

To use native API you need to add InterBase / Firebird specific #include and cast the result of SAConnection::NativeAPI to class ibAPI:

#include "ibAPI.h"

IsaAPI *pApi = con.NativeAPI();
ibAPI *pNativeAPI = (ibAPI *)pApi;

To get more information about InterBase API functions see InterBase / Firebird documentation.

For additional information see SAConnection::NativeAPI.

Getting native InterBase / Firebird connection related handles

You have to use native API handles when you want to call specific InterBase / Firebird API functions which are not directly supported by the library. API functions usually need to receive one or more active handles as parameters. SAConnection::NativeHandles method returns a pointer to the set of native API connection related handles. To use API handles directly you have to downcast saConnectionHandles pointer to the appropriate type and use its implementation-specific members.

To access native connection handles you need to add InterBase / Firebird specific #include and cast the result to class ibConnectionHandles:

#include "ibAPI.h"

saConnectionHandles *pHandles = con.NativeHandles();
ibConnectionHandles *pNativeHandles = (ibConnectionHandles*)pHandles;

To get more information about InterBase API functions and handles see InterBase / Firebird specific documentation.

For additional information see SAConnection::NativeHandles.

Getting native InterBase / Firebird command related handles

You have to use native API handles when you want to call specific InterBase / Firebird API functions which are not directly supported by the library. API functions usually need to receive one or more active handles as parameters. SACommand::NativeHandles method returns a pointer to the set of native API command related handles. To use API handles directly you have to downcast saCommandHandles pointer to the appropriate type and use its implementation-specific members.

To access native command handles you need to add InterBase / Firebird specific #include and cast the result to class ibCommandHandles:

#include "ibAPI.h"

saCommandHandles *pHandles = cmd.NativeHandles();
ibCommandHandles *pNativeHandles = (ibCommandHandles*)pHandles;

To get more information about InterBase API functions and handles see InterBase / Firebird specific documentation.

For additional information see SACommand::NativeHandles.

Error handling

When an error occurs when executing a SQL statement SQLAPI++ library throws an exception of type SAException and SAException::ErrPos method returns error position in the SQL statement.

In InterBase server SAException::ErrPos method returns -1 because InterBase does not support this function.

For additional information see Getting Started - Error Handling, SAException object.