Re: [Firebird-docs] Help

[Helen B. <he...@tp...>]

At 05:02 PM 30/01/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>The most significant difference I've found is transaction control where
>Firebird wins hands down!  For example, Postgres does not support nested
>transactions.  Firebird does--you just have to name them.

No, Firebird doesn't support nested transactions.   It does supported 
nested stored procedures.  Firebird 2 will have named savepoints.


>Postgres does have a wealth of functions but I think Firebird UDFs will
>soon catch up here.

Firebird isn't likely to aim to "catch up" with the bloatedness of PG and 
others.  Some functions considered essential are being added to the 
language but FB isn't likely to change its stance radically and overload 
the engine with rarely-used functions.  Firebird's small footprint is one 
of its big assets.  UDFs can be added at any time and we'll see "the best" 
of new UDFs being made available in more new UDF libraries.  There are 
already a lot available...the community needs to do a better job at 
publicising where to get them.

>Already 1.0.2 supports NULLIF() and NVL().

It does;  but the need for those UDFs has gone in Firebird 1.5, which 
supports COALESCE.  I think CASE is there too, or in the process of being 
implemented.

regards,
Helen