Overview

The isql utility is a text-mode client tool located in the bin directory of the Firebird installation. It provides a command line interface for interactive access to a Firebird database. It accepts DSQL statements along with a group of SET and SHOW commands to query and interact with the Firebird database. Some SET commands can be incorporated in DDL scripts to perform batch executions within isql. It also accepts DDL, DML and console commands.

The isql utility can be used in three modes: as an interactive session; directly from the command line; and as a non-interactive session, using a shell script or batch file. Different tasks may be performed in each of the modes,as illustrated below:

• An interactive session can be invoked from the command line of the operating system shell, and lasts until the session is terminated, using a QUIT or EXIT command. isql can be used interactively to:
  • Create, update, query, and drop data or meta data.
  • Input a script file containing a batch of SQL statements in sequence without prompting.
  • Add and modify data.
  • Grant user permissions.
  • Perform database administrative functions.
• Directly from the command line, with individual options and without starting an interactive session. Commands execute, and upon completion, return control automatically to the operating system.
• In a non-interactive session, the user employs a shell script or batch file to perform database functions.

Note: Because other applications in the Linux environment, for example, mySQL, also use isql as a utility name, you are advised to run the Firebird utility from its own directory, or provide the absolute file path if you have another relational database, besides Firebird, installed on your machine.

Note: Some of the affected distributions, such as Mint Linux - based on Ubuntu - have renamed Firebird's isql to be isql-fb. There may be similar changes in other distributions.

In addition, not all distributions install Firebird to the same location. OpenSuse, for example, installs just about everything to /opt/firebird/n.n but Ubuntu and derivatives install it to a number of different locations but the utilities are in /usr/bin.

For the remainder of this document, the assumption will be that the utility is called isql.