Database Front end suggestion

[Net Llama!]

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004, David Bandel wrote:
>
> MySQL:  not a true database.  More like a _very_ fast file system you
> access with SQL commands.  Great for web logs, but a recipe for
> disaster with any application where data integrity is important (like
> accounting).
> mysql is not ACID.
> ACID stands for: Atomicity, Consistency, Integrity, Durability (search
> Google, you'll find sites to explain all this in minute detail).
>
> PostgreSQL is ACID.  It has support for transactions,
> roll-forward/roll-back, triggers, stored procedures, foreign keys
> (very important in a multi-table relational database), and more.  It's
> also much easier to maintain.  You can run a vacuum and analyze (along
> with a backup) nightly (or more often) to provide the engine "hints"
> for faster lookups.
>
> vacuuming in Postgres is important because of the way an ACID database
> works (other ACID databases have the same function but with a
> different name). updated and deleted rows aren't removed from a
> database until you vacuum it (updated rows are really new rows with
> the changed data).
>
> The biggest difference between databases is on the admin side.
> Administrative commands are different (although functions are the
> same).  But 90% of commands that run on one db will run on another
> (exception:  MySQL doesn't support left outer joins you have to run
> two natural joins with a union to get the same effect).

FWIW, I agree 100% with David.  When given the choice, I'll always pick
PostgreSQL over mySQL.

>
> Bottom line:  if your data (and its integrity) is important, don't
> even consider a toy like MySQL.  Use Postgres, Informix, Oracle (ugh
> -- there's a reason Oracle dba's earn 6 digit salaries), or Sybase.

Heh, well that's prolly cause Larry earns a 9 digit salary.  Friends don't
let friends use oracle.  Its the M$ of the database world.


-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lonni J Friedman                                netllama at linux-sxs.org
Linux Step-by-step & TyGeMo                  http://netllama.ipfox.com