[Firebird-devel] API strings

[Geoff W. <ge...@te...>]

Hi All,

I've been reviewing some code dealing with the Firebird API and
want to clarify some of my assumptions.  I think I have things
okay as far as dealing with character set details for field
data; what I am curious about are strings passed through the
API for other reasons.

  . SQL statements given to prepare and execute etc are
    interpreted according to the connection character set

    - by which I assume NONE is effectively equivalent
      to ASCII ... yes?

    - I am trying to get my head around how character-set
      introducers work in the various possible situations
      here.  For example: Am I right is thinking that a
      connection character-set of UTF8 may make some
      introducer situations effectively impossible?  (I
      couldn't, for example have _Win1252 followed by some
      text that was invalid to UTF8 ... even if Firebird
      copes I am not sure how I would do it at the client.)

  . What about all the other times that strings are passed
    to the API, is the connection character-set used there too?

    - XSQLDA names etc
    - cursor_name in isc_dsql_set_cursor_name
    - data returned from isc_dsql_sql_info
    - strings to/from the various services APIs

    Up to now I've gotten by by assuming these as essentially
    NONE/ASCII (which has worked because I've purposefully
    avoided more complex situations), but now I'm reviewing
    this code I am curious about what I _should_ be doing
    in these situations.  Does Firebird (in v2.x and/or before)
    assume the connection character-set for any/all of these
    strings too?

-- 
Geoff Worboys
Telesis Computing