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Some useful packages and utilities.

    Take note that several of the free offerings appear highlighted. I may have missed some of them. Also, the status of some of the offerings might have changed over time without my knowledge. Please contact me if you want to be listed or if you want to do some correction.

  • Drivers:
    • DBD::Interbase, DBI driver for IB. You can use this alternate URL.
    • , AOLServer db driver for IB on Linux.
    • Kinterbasdb (Russia), a free and open source python db Module for InterBase, by Alexander Kuznetsov. Hosted on Source Forge.
    • (USA), module for interfacing IB with Perl 5, by Bill Karwin. Frozen.
    • Win32 Binary InterBase module for Python (Portugal), by Luis Forra.
    • IBPhoenix Open Source ODBC driver (USA) by Jim Starkey.
    • InterBase ODBC driver by Nick Gorham from Easysoft.
    • InterBase ODBC driver by Aleksey Karyakin.
    • Open Firebird ODBC driver (ofbodbc) (Czech Republic) by XTG Systems. The driver was formerly known as XTG-IB6 ODBC driver. It's released under LGPL.
    • Beta OLE/DB driver for IB (USA) by Jason Wharton, based on IBObjects.
    • OLE/DB provider for IB (Russia) by Dmitry Kovalenko from Lipetsk Centre.
    • Native IB ADO driver (Brazil) by Márcio Wesley Borges.
    • ADODB Database Library, a DBI library for PHP, a wrapper class library for uniform access from PHP4 to MySQL, Interbase, Oracle, MS SQL 7, Foxpro, Access, ADO and generic ODBC, by John Lim. (It's not based on MS ADO.)
    • (USA) by David Schnepper.
    • IbOleDb (USA), an OLE-DB driver by Ralph Curry.
    • IB-OLE-DB driver (Ukraine) by ZStyleGroup Ltd.
    • AdoAnywhere Browser (UK), establish the functionality that is available through an OLEDB provider.
  • Packages:
    • InterBase Installation Info (USA), by the Carpe Diem R&D team at Sage U.S. Holdings, Inc. is dedicated to provide information about how to install IB. Also, it contains the free scripts that allow you to use the Wise Install to setup IB. 
    • IB_Objects (USA), commercial grade (trustware), third party package for Delphi & BCB to make fast and direct connections to Interbase databases.
    • FreeIBComponents (USA), known as FIB, free package for Delphi to make direct connections to Interbase databases. (No longer in development.)
    • FIBPlus (Russia), a commercial (trustware) package for Delphi & BCB to make native connections to IB. Based on FIB, it supports IB6 and other enhancements.
    • SuperIB Event Alerter (USA), a nicely working and free event alerter. (No longer supported, donated to the community.)
    • SQLAPI++ (Belarus) is a commercial but sensibly priced C++ library for accessing multiple SQL databases. It uses native APIs of target RDBMS, so it doesn't require ADO and it supports Oracle, MsSql, DB2, InterBase, Centura (Gupta), Informix, Sybase and ODBC on both Win32 and Linux. (Until new release, only dialect 1 for IB.)
    • IBPP (France), a C++ client API for Interbase 6.0, open source under MPL license. Initial source donated by the TIP Group where it was used internally. Hosted on SourceForge.
    • FastTextSearch/IB (Russia), a set of DLLs for the searching textual information in IB.
    • Rubicon (USA), full text search engine for Borland Delphi and C++ Builder. SQL backends are accessed via the BDE or SQL specific drivers such as Direct Oracle Access, InterBase Objects, and ODBC Express.
    • Zeos Database Objects (Ukraine), open source library to connect to MySQL, PostgreSQL, MsSql, Oracle and InterBase, compatible with Delphi's TDataset hierarchy. GPL license.
    • TUsersIBX (Brazil), allows developers add to password protection and access control to the resources of Delphi and C++Builder applications.
    • (Germany), to add/delete/modify IB-Users on a script based way for a dedicated Interbase Server, ideally when installing applications without overwriting existing security database.
    • deLIFact (Netherlands), an Open Delphi Application Framework especially designed for building Desktop and Client/Server applications with Borland Delphi, it supports ADO, BDE, IBX and InfoPower.
    • (Russia) is a set of native Delphi/IBO components for exporting to MS Excel, MS Word (RTF), HTML, XML, TXT, DBF, CSV, SYLK, DIF, LaTeX, SQL and Windows Clipboard.
    • IBOAdmin (Italy), Delphi package with Components to perform administration tasks on sql server InterBase 6 or Firebird SS. Open source under MPL.
    • SQLDirect Component Library (Belarus) is a light-weight BDEngine replacement for Delphi v.3 - 7 and C++Builder v.3 - 6 to connect to 10 engines, including IB/FB.
    • Interbase Visual SQL (USA) is a nonvisual component that creates visual form for SQL editing, design, and testing. Includes complete Pascal source code.
    • OLEDB Direct Components Suite (Russia) allows direct access to OLEDB interfaces from Borland (c) Delphi and C++ Builder. OLEDB Direct Components Suite is a set of VCL-style components that allow database access using OLEDB interfaces. It is designed for extremely fast data access. (It's not a IB/FB product, but it's very fast when coupled with an IB/FB OLE/DB driver.)
    • FBLib Firebird Library (Italy) is an Open Source Library with no visual Data Aware components for direct access to Firebird Relational Database from Borland Delphi / Kylix and Freepascal.
  • Installers:
    • for MS Windows Installer.
    • for MS Windows Installer.
  • UDFs: (All are free.)
    • The IB UDF comes with IB and is not available as a separate download.
    • FUDLibrary (UK) is a user defined function library for IB6 with source included, by David Bowyer. Only available as binary on Windows.
    • (USA) is the known free UDF library for Windows by Greg Deatz. This is an expanded and fixed version by me and revamped by Steve Summers.
    • FreeUDFLibC (USA) is the same FreeUDFLib but for UNIX and Linux, by Greg Deatz.
    • Mers UDFLib (Canada) is the free UDFLib for IB6 by MER Systems.
    • BlobUDFLib (USA) by Kevin Burge is a BLOB-oriented library of course.
    • xLibUDF (Russia) is a library with additional functions for working with strings, mutexes, creation GUID, debugging stored procedures and triggers.
    • (UK) is a specialized library for BLOBs from Ian Newby.
    • FBudf (Chile), general purpose library; works ONLY with Firebird and it's part of FB now.
    • (Brazil), 85 UDF functions for InterBase/Firebird including strings, date, math and binary. Open source.
    • rFunc (Russia), offers string, bit, numerical functions, operations with dates & time and BLOBs, expression evaluator, etc., for IB4.2-6.0 & Firebird on Windows and Linux. Open source under LGPL. Beware that Fortunecity will stuff you with popups, scripts and cookies, so if you can read Russian go here instead.
    • Lib PLUS (Ukraine) is a free UDF library for Interbase SQL Server 5.x and higher. It contains string, numeric conversions, bit, and date functions.
  • Utilities:
    • GMarathon (Australia), an IB DBA tool by Gimbal, made with IB_Objects. Includes a stored procedure debugger. Open source.
    • IB_WISQL (USA), a freeware DBA tool based on IBO.
    • XCase (USA), a CASE tool that supports the full range of IB's features, including v6.
    • QuickDesk (Russia), an IB DBA tool. Includes a stored procedure debugger and a module to localize versions of the interbase.msg file.
    • (Russia), an IB DBA tool.
    • IBSysMaster (Germany), an IB administration tool.
    • GrantManager (Russia), an IB tool aimed mainly to control permissions (rights).
    • IB Workbench (Netherlands), a DBA tool.
    • SQL Debugger and SQL Power Editor (South Africa), shareware aimed to Interbase. The first is a stored proc debugger.
    • wIBzard (Spain), a DBA tool.
    • (Russia), a low level DBA tool.
    • Interbase Localizer (UK), a tool to make national language versions of the interbase.msg file.
    • Interbase Database Recovery Tool (USA), when gbak and gfix cannot recover your db.
    • IBHeartBeat (UK), a profiling tool for Interbase.
    • IB Affinity (Germany), lets you tie IB SuperServer to one processor on WinNT SMP machines.
    • (Netherlands), freeware to load data from an ASCII file into IB from the command line.
    • (Russia), shareware tool for the management of IB metadata (dead?).
    • IB SQL (Spain), DBA tool in the spirit of Gimbal's Marathon, in Spanish.
    • IB_ShowUsers (Germany), console mode program that lists all users currently connected to a database.
    • (Latvia), an IB management tool based on the BDE.
    • IB Database Comparer (Russia), freeware to compare databases.
    • (Russia), same than previous?
    • IBAccess (Spain), an open source and free DBA tool. Hosted on Source Forge.
    • IB Expert (Germany), an IB administration tool (QuickDesk clone).
    • IB Log Manager (Germany), a logging tool for IB.
    • (Netherlands), a CASE tool using an E-R diagram. Supports Oracle, Interbase, IBM DB2, Sybase, MS Access, MS SQL Server, Paradox, dBase, Informix, PostgreSQL, SQL-Anywhere and, MySQL.
    • Upscene alias resolver (Netherlands), centralized, server side repository of IB database paths, written in Java and free.
    • Interbase Backup (Germany), freeware tool to manage backups and restores.
    • Grant Master (Ukraine), an administration utility for management of the user’s access to IB.
    • FBGrantGenerator (Germany), freeware tool to manage user permissions, BDE or IBO based version.
    • Zeos Database Explorer (Ukraine), an open source DBA tool under GPL.
    • PIRAT (Germany), a web based remote administration tool for IB 6. It is an open source GPL project.
    • IbaseAdmin (Netherlands), a web-based database management tool for IB using PHP4, developed under GPL.
    • Case Studio (Czech Republic), a CASE tool that supports IB6.
    • Global DBA (Canada) is a database administration solution for managing IB databases.
    • Global SQL (Canada) is an integrated development environment for creating, editing, debugging, versioning, tuning and deploying server-side objects residing on IB databases. It has a non-invasive installation on managed databases.
    • Phoenix Tool (USA), is a SQL & administration tool for InterBase and Firebird databases. Trustware.
    • IBAM (UK), IB/FB alias manager, open source under MPL.
    • (Chile), a modified Firebird command-line isql that can report failure line numbers relative to a script instead of relative to each command. Modification of FB1's isql. Frozen.
    • FBStoredProcGenerator (Germany), generates Stored Procedure source code from any Select statement (IBO-based).
    • FBShellExt (Germany) is a small registry tweak to be able to backup and restore databases from Windows Explorer's context menu.
    • IBUtils (Czech Republic), displays graphically relationships in a db.
    • IBRD (Argentina), create diagrams from db structure. Frozen.
    • IBOConsole (Italy) by Lorenzo Mengoni, is an enhanced and fixed IBConsole clone, made with IBO and a set of administration components created ad hoc. Open source under MPL.
    • IBDataWorks (Canada) is a data modeling tool for the InterBase® and Firebird databases.
    • Report Master (Ukraine) is intended for design of the reports, adjustment of parameters and previewing.
    • Sql Constructor (Israel) is an SQL builder && report tool && Web Report system (for win9x / Me / NT / 2000) that helps to construct sql queries, manage your database actions, and design reports. Supports BDE, ADO, DAO, ODBC, Oracle, MySql, Interbase, Flash Filer, DBISAM 3, Asta 2, Advantage 6, DB2 & Apollo.
    • IBDesc (Germany) is the InterBase Description tool that helps you to describe the structure of your database. It creates a nice HTML report which you can configure in a wide range.
    • dbPal (USA) is a family of cross-platform multi-DBMS toolkits offering rich functionality for database administrators and application developers. dbPAL products offer a complete desktop application for database development, lifecycle management and data extract, transform and load operations.
    • IB backup/restore scheduler (Ukraine) is an Interbase, Firebird and Yaffil oriented tool for automatic scheduled backup with AutoRestore option for automatic restore after successful backup.
    • DBOne (Poland), a multi-database administration tool with support for IB & FB.
    • ASQL beta (Brazil) is a multidatabase SQL analyzer.
    • AdeptSQL Diff/IB (Cyprus), visual database schema comparison and synchronization tool.
    • IB SQL Monitor (Czech Republic), command monitoring and profiling for IBX programs. Source code available.
    • CP Converter (Czech Republic), converter among different code pages.
    • (Germany), database comparison tool, standalone application.
    • IB-DB-Builder (USA), database compare and construct utility.
    • IB Backup/Restore utility (China). The name says it all.
    • Dbak (Australia), it's a backup/restore tool that doesn't use neither gbak nor gbak format. Done after known problems when gbak fails to restore valid databases.
    • BlazeTop (Russia), Visual Tool for Database Development and Administration, supports specifically FB and IB.
    • (Russia), a CASE tools that supports all db objects in IB/FB databases plus reverse engineering.
    • (Russia), a collection of 7 tools: database comparer, query, datapump, data generator, export, import and metadata extractor.
    • GPL IB db repair & pump utility, to recover all recoverable data from a corrupted IB database file(s) in the fastest way possible. Open source at SF.
    • IB Description (China), admin tool for IB/FB. You can edit the description of all db objects.
    • FbExport (Yugoslavia), open source tool to export data from FB.
    • Interbase browser (Czech Republic) is a simple free browser of IB databases.
    • IB2Excel (China), is an utility to transfer IB/FB data to Excel SYLK (.slk) format.
    • DesktopDb2IB (China), it can transfer text, Excel MsAccess, dBase, FoxPro, Visual Foxpro, etc, to an IB database.
    • FeniSQL (Italy) is a simple Admin tool for Firebird developed with FBLib and released under GPL License.
  • Encryption:
    • Encryption Proxy (New Zealand), for connecting over the Internet in a secure manner. It doesn't carry the IB prefix anymore. Frozen?
    • Stunnel (USA), a generic product to send encrypted data over the net; it can produce a SSL connection from IB client to IB server. Requires an SSL library.
    • is a simple program to establish an encrypted, compressed “tunnel” for TCP/IP or UDP data transfer between two systems. This generic product has been tested with FB.
  • Utilities for migration:
    • IBDBCopy (Australia), a free tool for copying table's data from across databases.
    • IB Milking Machine (Germany), extracts data and stores it into a script with insert commands, for little data amounts.
    • IB Easy Pump (Italy), a freeware pump utility for IB.
    • MsAccess and MsSqlServer to IB Wizard (Argentina), a tool to migrate from MS engine to IB. Frozen.
    • IB DataPump (USA) allows you to pump data from any ADO/BDE/ODBC sources (such as dBase, Paradox, Access, MSSQL, Sybase, Oracle, DB2 etc) and native Interbase/Firebird databases into Interbase/Firebird databases easy, fast and painlessly with total control over the whole process. Source can be purchased.
    • IBReplicator (UK), the third-party, commercial grade replication system for IB6 and IB5. It was the original built-in replication system for IB6 before IB was open sourced, done in South Africa. Transferred to IBPhoenix.
    • (Netherlands), a tool to import SQL files containing DDL statements for tables, indexes and domains into "Dezign for databases" (see previous section).
    • IB Updata (UK), updates the metadata of one database to conform with the metadata (tables, field order, SPs, triggers, indexes, FKs etc) of another database, retaining the data.
    • Replication Master (Ukraine), an Interbase administration utility for performing the data migration between several remote databases.
    • IBRestructurer (Slovenia), it compares two databases and can rebuild domains, exceptions, generators, tables. PKs, indices, FKs, stored procedures, triggers and UDFs.
    • Version Control Master (Ukraine), administration utility for easy control of the metadata modifications during project updates.
    • (Australia), this tool allows you to fix the hard coded paths of a multi-file database after you move or copy it, so you don't have to backup-restore.
    • FiBRE (UK), the Firebird Replication Engine, open source.
    • Conversion Master (Ukraine) is an administration utility for IB for easy data transfer from one database to another.
    • IB Replication Suite (Czech Rep) is an unidirectional free replication engine.
    • FBReplicator (Australia) is a free replication engine for Firebird.

Brief description of some utilities can be found here:

http://www.borlandkorea.co.kr/conf2001/PROCEEDINGS/papers/1154/paper/1154.html

 

 

This page was last updated on 2004-05-25 01:12:20