Fyracle is a special version of the open source Firebird database

Firebird (database server)

Firebird is an open source SQL relational database management system that runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix. The database forked from Borland's open source edition of InterBase in 2000, but since Firebird 1.5 the code has been largely rewritten ....

 which supports Oracle

Oracle database

The Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....

 PL/SQL

PL/SQL

PL/SQL is Oracle Corporation's procedural extension language for SQL and the Oracle relational database...

 syntax, to ease porting of Oracle applications to open source

Open source

The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

.

Fyracle comprises three parts:

1. some enhancements to the Firebird database, such as support for derived and temporary table
   Table (database)
   In relational databases and flat file databases, a table is a set of data elements that is organized using a model of vertical columns and horizontal rows. A table has a specified number of columns, but can have any number of rows...
   
   s, hierarchical queries and a PL/SQL execution engine, and support for Oracle specific semantics, such as an empty string
   String (computer science)
   In formal languages, which are used in mathematical logic and theoretical computer science, a string is a finite sequence of symbols that are chosen from a set or alphabet....
   
    equalling a null
   Null (SQL)
   Null is a special marker used in Structured Query Language to indicate that a data value does not exist in the database. Introduced by the creator of the relational database model, E. F. Codd, SQL Null serves to fulfill the requirement that all true relational database management systems support...
   
    value and vice versa in certain contexts;
2. a connector library
   Library (computer science)
   In computer science, a library is a collection of resources used to develop software. These may include pre-written code and subroutines, classes, values or type specifications....
   
   , which translates Oracle specific syntax to something that Firebird can understand. An example is modifying the (+) join
   Join (SQL)
   An SQL join clause combines records from two or more tables in a database. It creates a set that can be saved as a table or used as is. A JOIN is a means for combining fields from two tables by using values common to each. ANSI standard SQL specifies four types of JOINs: INNER, OUTER, LEFT, and RIGHT...
   
    syntax to ANSI
   American National Standards Institute
   The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
   
    style joins;
3. a PL/SQL compiler that takes PL/SQL source code
   Source code
   In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
   
   , such as stored procedure
   Stored procedure
   A stored procedure is a subroutine available to applications that access a relational database system. A stored procedure is actually stored in the database data dictionary.Typical uses for stored procedures include data validation or access control mechanisms...
   
   s and functions or trigger
   Database trigger
   A database trigger is procedural code that is automatically executed in response to certain events on a particular table or view in a database. The trigger is mostly used for keeping the integrity of the information on the database...
   
    bodies, and translates this to a byte-code that the PL/SQL execution engine mentioned above can understand.

Fyracle can currently correctly execute all examples that come with Oracle 7, and new features are added all the time. The goal is to be fully Oracle 9 compatible.

There are two typical use case

Use case

In software engineering and systems engineering, a use case is a description of steps or actions between a user and a software system which leads the user towards something useful...

s for Fyracle. The first is using Fyracle to run the open source ERP

Enterprise resource planning

Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...

/CRM

Customer relationship management

Customer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...

 system "Compiere

Compiere

Compiere is an open source ERP and CRM business solution for the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise in distribution, retail, service and manufacturing...

". Running Compiere with Fyracle has lower hardware

Computer hardware

Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...

 demands than using Oracle and is much easier to manage for the typical Compiere user. The other typical use case is as the database back end

Front-end and back-end

Front end and back end are generalized terms that refer to the initial and the end stages of a process. The front end is responsible for collecting input in various forms from the user and processing it to conform to a specification the back end can use...

 for mid-market two-tier applications

Multitier architecture

In software engineering, multi-tier architecture is a client–server architecture in which the presentation, the application processing, and the data management are logically separate processes. For example, an application that uses middleware to service data requests between a user and a database...

. Examples are applications that have been developed in Visual Basic

Visual Basic

Visual Basic is the third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment from Microsoft for its COM programming model...

, Delphi or Oracle's Developer 2000 and that are easier to distribute and maintain with Fyracle than with the latest releases of Oracle.