# KirbyBase 2.5

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/kirbybase-2-5/91846>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 1, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/kirbybase-2-5/91846 "2005-12-01T23:48:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cribbsj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@cribbsj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cribbsj)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/kirbybase-2-5/91846/1 "2005-12-01T23:48:30Z")

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I would like to announce the release of version 2.5 of KirbyBase, a  
small, pure-Ruby database management system that stores it’s data in  
plain-text files.

You can download it here:

Windows: [http://www.netpromi.com/files/KirbyBase\_Ruby\_2.5.zip](http://www.netpromi.com/files/KirbyBase_Ruby_2.5.zip)  
Linux/Unix: [netpromi.com](http://www.netpromi.com/files/KirbyBase_Ruby_2.5.tar.gz)  
Gem: [http://www.netpromi.com/files/KirbyBase-2.5.gem](http://www.netpromi.com/files/KirbyBase-2.5.gem)

Yes, you read that right, Martha. I finally got off my butt and created  
a gem for KirbyBase.

This release includes a fix for a particularly subtle bug, involving  
indexes, that caused me quite a bit of grief for a few days while I  
tracked it down. Here’s whats new, besides the bugfix, in this release:

- Added the following new methods to KBTable: add\_index, drop\_index,  
rename\_column, change\_column\_type, change\_column\_default\_value, and  
change\_column\_required.

- Added the ability to specify a default column value at table creation  
time.

- Added the ability to specify, at table creation time, that a column  
value is required when inserting or updating records.

- Removed #add\_table\_column and #drop\_table\_column from KirbyBase class  
and added #add\_column and #drop\_column to KBTable class. I felt like it  
made more sense to have these methods in the table’s class rather than  
the database’s class.

- Added KirbyBase#rename\_table method.

- Added the ability to, upon database initialization, specify that index  
creation should not happen until a table is actually opened. This  
speeds up database initialization at the cost of slower table  
initialization later.

Most of these enhancements were made to support Assaph M., the  
developer of Pimki, in his on-going effort to create an ActiveRecord  
adapter for KirbyBase. Assaph made me promise to say that the KirbyBase  
adapter will not be 100% ActiveRecord compliant and that there is no  
guarantee that he will actually get it to work. That being said, it  
sounds like he is making steady progress and he even said I might get to  
take a peek at the code soon. 🙂

I would like to thank all of the people who provided bug fixes,  
suggestions, and ideas for version 2.5.  
Enjoy!

Jamey C.  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

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**Author:** ![cribbsj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@cribbsj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cribbsj)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/kirbybase-2-5/91846/2 "2005-12-02T00:16:54Z")

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On Dec 1, 2005, at 2:46 PM, Jamey C. wrote:

> I would like to announce the release of version 2.5 of KirbyBase, a  
> small, pure-Ruby database management system that stores it’s data  
> in plain-text files.  
> \<snip great stuff!\>

Go Jamie! Downloading now, loving KirbyBase as usual!

Cheers-  
-Ezra Z.  
Yakima Herald-Republic  
WebMaster  
[http://yakimaherald.com](http://yakimaherald.com)  
509-577-7732  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid
