The Firebird Book (2nd Edition) (PDF)

About the Book

Helen Borrie’s The Firebird Book, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive (1442 pages in total) technical reference for developers and administrators using the Firebird relational database system—from version 1.0 through Firebird 3.0 enhancements. Available as a set of two fully navigable PDF's, it provides in-depth guidance on database design, development, configuration, security, and administration.

About the Author

Helen Borrie (1947-2025) was a respected database and application developer, integral to the Firebird community. As writer‑in‑residence for IBPhoenix and Secretary of the Firebird Foundation Inc., she maintained detailed release notes for Firebird and provided ongoing support through community mailing lists and developer forums. A former journalist turned technical writer, Helen had served as the continuous voice of concise, authoritative documentation for Firebird since its early 2000s inception.

Why This Book Matters

• Complete coverage for Firebird up to v3.0 in one unified reference.
• Logical, workflow‑driven layout: from fundamentals to development, to advanced administration.
• Practical depth: rich in examples, best practices, and feature timing across versions.
• Designed for professionals: ideal for developers, DBAs, and SysAdmins building scalable, secure applications on Firebird.

Availability

The book is available for free  — no strings attached. However, if you want to help us keep Helen's legacy alive, you can pay as much as you like. All money raised from the "sale" of this book will go towards organizing Helen Borrie Memorial Award. Its goal is to recognize and highlight those who have made long-term contributions to the development of Firebird.