Chapter 4. databases.conf

In its simplest form, a configuration item in databases.conf only defines an alias:

Syntax of a simple alias

alias = database-path

This is a key-value pair with only a simple value.

As an example — from the default databases.conf — this defines the aliases employee and employee.fdb for the example database included in default Firebird installations:

Examples of simples aliases

#
# Example Database:
#
employee.fdb = $(dir_sampleDb)/employee.fdb
employee = $(dir_sampleDb)/employee.fdb

When the value is a scoped value, it also defines server-side or client-side configuration.

Syntax of an alias with a scoped value

alias = database-path
'{'
  { key-name = simple-value <new-line> }...
'}'

As an example — from the default databases.conf — this defines the alias security.db with database-specific configuration in the scoped value:

Example of an alias with a scoped value

security.db = $(dir_secDb)/security5.fdb
{
	RemoteAccess = false
	DefaultDbCachePages = 256
}

You can define multiple aliases for a single database, but only one of those aliases can be a scoped value.