PHP —

Connecting to Firebird

The Firebird database is currently more an insider's tip than a widely in use database, but is getting more users and may be an alternative to established RDBMS. The origins of this database lie in Borland's InterBase product. Therefore, the extension is called ibase or interbase.

ibase_connect()

So, Windows users need extension=php_interbase.dll in their php.ini, whereas "self-compilers" must configure PHP with the switch with-interbase=/path/to/firebird. Then, Firebird supports two modes: a file mode comparable to SQLite and a server mode. For the sake of interoperability and for an easy deployment, this section uses the file mode.

Connecting to InterBase/Firebird
<?php
  if ($db = ibase_connect('localhost:/tmp/quotes.gdb', 'user',
  'password')) {
    echo 'Connected to the database.';
    ibase_close($db);
  } else {
    echo 'Connection failed.';
  }
?>

This section also uses .gdb files that are compatible with both Firebird and Interbase; the new Firebird format has the extension .fdb. After this file is created, ibase_connect() connects to the file or database. For the host, you have to provide a string in the format 'localhost:/path/to/file.gdb' when using TCP/IP, or the local filename (the listings assume that the file resides in /tmp on the local machine); you also need a username and a password.

Sending SQL to Firebird

ibase_execute()

The function ibase_query() can be used to send an SQL string to the database. However, there is no ibase_escape_string(); so, to be safe from SQL injection, a prepared statement must be used. Here, the function ibase_prepare() comes into play: It parses an SQL statement (with question marks as placeholders) and returns a statement object. Then, ibase_execute() executes this statement and retrieves the values for the placeholders as additional parameters.

Sending SQL to InterBase/Firebird
<?php
  if ($db = ibase_connect('localhost:/tmp/quotes.gdb', 'user',
  'password')) {
    require_once 'stripFormSlashes.inc.php';
    $sql = 'INSERT INTO quotes (id, quote, author,
      qyear) ' .
      'VALUES (GEN_ID(quotes_gen, 1), ?, ?, ?)';
    $stmt = ibase_prepare($db, $sql);
    ibase_execute($stmt,
      $_POST['quote'], $_POST['author'], intval
         ($_POST['year']));
    echo 'Quote saved.';
    ibase_close($db);
  } else {
    echo 'Connection failed.';
  }
?>

The preceding code contains two specialities of Firebird. First, the identity column is driven by a generator in the database; the call to GEN_ID(quotes_gen, 1) enters the next available value in this column when inserting a new field. Also, the word year is reserved within Firebird, so the column's name is qyear.

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