[Gllug] wikis

[Bruce Richardson]

On Thu, Oct 09, 2003 at 02:24:59PM +0100, Pete wrote:
> I totally agree.  The simple fact that mysql (which I assume is being
> referred to)

How do you reach that conclusion on the basis of anything but personal
prejudice?  I didn't make any statement regarding any particular
database.  Did you just assumed that it must by MySQL because you
disagree?

As it happens, Postgresql would be my personal choice in most
circumstances.  Did it ever occur to you that someone who has based
their systems around Postgres might be frustrated by applications that
will only work with MySQL?  Not that Postgres is the best and only
database in the world in all possible situations.   And you're ignoring
the fact that a person may have to deal with choices made in the past by
others over which they had no control.  Has it ever ocurred to you that
someone trying to introduce Open Source software to a proprietary shop
might be frustrated in this task because the applications they would
like to introduce have been restricted, quite uselessly?  I happen to
know that SquirrelMail is a popular webmail client in a lot of
Windows-based organisations.  They can use it because SM is database
agnostic and will work happily enough with SQL Server.  Would the world
be a better place if the SquirrelMail developers had shared this
childish attitude?

> has trouble with all manner of *standard* queries (like
> sub-queries) should not hinder one's design IMHO. 

Simple, standard sql like "alter table drop column", you mean?  Yes, I
know Postgres supports that *now*, finally, after years.  It's worth
remembering that not all the compromises go one way.

> then it will be dog slow on *all* databases.  No database abstraction layer
> will deal with that.  So calling it "immature database wars" is not
> necessarily very accurate - it's more complicated than that.

Many open source applications use databases in a simple, straightforward
fashion that is easily abstracted.  PHPWiki manages it and there are many
other applications that could.

> 
> And besides, if everyone coded their queries to the lowest common
> denominator[*] then mysql wins, since it is almost always the LCM and is
> very efficient because of that! ;-)

Irrelevant.

-- 
Bruce

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards, apart from
ostriches if you punch them hard enough.
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