Database

major · 2006-01-04 13:53:53

What database do you prefer, and why?

Moo-Crumpus · 2006-01-04 14:11:10

'cause I know it.

Dusty · 2006-01-04 14:21:06

doesn't it depend on the application? MySQL and PostGres may be more or less interchangable, but SQLLite seems to me to be designed for tasks that the others are not optimized for and vice versa.

Dusty

xerverius · 2006-01-04 15:29:03

MySQL, because it is the best/most supported/used database and it has proven himself.

rpgcyco · 2006-01-04 16:20:40

I voted for MySQL.

I don't run it locally, but of all the times I've used it on web servers it's been fine and worked well. I haven't used any of the other options though, so I may of found them equally useful, who knows.

- Rpg Cyco

postlogic · 2006-01-04 16:30:13

I use MySQL because it's free, fast, easy to learn and it's what I used first. Most books and stuff concering PHP uses MySQL anyway, so it's better in that way, too.

cactus · 2006-01-04 19:42:56

Dusty wrote:

MySQL and PostGres may be more or less interchangable

I disagree.

Mysql has its benefits. I prefer postgres myself, for various reasons that I see no need to elucidate here (beyond saying that I consider my data consistency more important than raw speed).

They are not what I would consider 'interchangeable' though. Just like oracle is not really interchangeable with MSSQL. If you meant that both are RDBMS applications, then I guess...

*shrug*

shadowhand · 2006-01-04 20:00:23

MySQL because it works with PHP the easiest (imho) and I know it.

deficite · 2006-01-04 22:23:11

Ditto

soniX · 2006-01-04 23:13:44

HSQLDB for development... its small, easy to set up, and extremely fast.

phrakture · 2006-01-04 23:18:14

sqlite, because it's standalone and doesn't require system daemons and things like that - admittedly, it doesn't perform as well as mysql and things, but for small apps where you need to store a big hunk of data, sqlite rocks.

soloport · 2006-01-04 23:19:41

Postgres

The question to ask is: How much code is above water? i.e. The experienced develper will make the RDBMS do much of the work (below water); A poor design will have PHP or Java doing a bunch of decision-making and filtering (above water). The well-designed application will be able to handle far more bandwidth and will be far more scalable. In this, Postgres will fast become your friend.

If your application uses flat files and you convert it to support MySQL, you'll see it run circles around a Postgres version of the same. However, the first time you try anything real-world (in the RDMBS sense) the Postgres version will show its true horsepower, in terms of speed.

As far as "best supported" goes, you would really have to try Postgres, probably for a full year, and get to know and get used to it's differences. Then try to go back to MySQL (after you've forgotten about its quirks). You'll probably be scratching your head wondering what all the fuss was about regarding "support".

I found this to be true for Windows. I stayed completely away from Windows for more than a year. When I got a new laptop, Windows stayed on it for only a month before I couldn't stand it anymore and installed Linux.

[Edit] Beware of the application that claims to support both MySQL and Postgres. You might as well use MySQL with it, as it probably has not taken advantage of ANY true RDBMS support and is still using a relatively "flat file" approach to managing data.

YMMV

Dusty · 2006-01-04 23:27:45

deficite wrote:

Ditto

Me too!

klapmuetz · 2006-01-05 13:05:43

soloport wrote:

...

I was going to make approximately the same post... But yours is way better than the draft I had in my head.

This guy knows what he is talking about! :-)

neotuli · 2006-01-06 01:00:32

It depends on the application a lot. I think for small, local things, sqlite is better, while for really really big heavy duty stuff mysql and postgres are much better suited.

LB06 · 2006-01-06 14:38:41

PostgreSQL has features that I wouldn't want to miss in any serious environment. Foreign keys, ACID features, SQL compliancy, etc. But MySQL and SQLite denifitely have a merit, too. MySQL is great for storing (especially querying) not-heavily related, unnormalized or small to medium amounts of data.

I mostly use MySQL for obvious reasons, but I prefer to work with Postgres.

codergeek42 · 2006-01-06 23:27:50

MySQL. I dunno...it just seems simpler to me; or maybe I'm just used to it.

LB06 · 2006-01-07 11:50:49

MySQL is only simpler for simple tasks

cactus · 2006-01-07 19:53:46

LB06 wrote:

MySQL is only simpler for simple tasks

oh man.. I need to write this one down!
Best quote of the day!
8)

sash · 2006-01-08 03:20:59

major wrote:

What database do you prefer, and why?

PostgreSQL, hands down. I have worked with MySql much longer, but there's simply no comparison... Stored procedures, create views, storing geospatial objects (have you tried the PostGis ewxtension?), ability to use one of multitude of languages to write functions (plpqsl, c, etc), the list goes on and on...

LB06 · 2006-01-08 12:31:32

I would like to add that MySQL5 certainly is an improvment, because it offers many 'enterprise-ready' features like referential integrity (foreign keys), transactions, views and so on. I think MySQL and Postgres are slowly converging towards each other.

It remains to be seen how well these features are implemented, however. Having features is not nearly enough. They should also be stable, agile, secure and SQL '92 compliant.

soloport · 2006-01-08 18:54:38

Imagine you're going to hire a new employee for the position of "programmer". You've been inundated with resumes. In reviewing the stack, you notice that 80% of them list only BASIC as a skill. (This is what I've experienced, first-hand.) Are these people "programmers"? Of course thay are. But the other 20% list a broader variety of languages: C, C++, Java, Assembly.

In fact, most of these do not list BASIC whatsoever. Perhaps they've learned that hiring managers know: Learning BASIC will teach you the wrong skills. With BASIC under your belt, you'll have to un-learn and re-learn programming skills to become useful in other languages.

Now imagine you're going to hire a "DBA". A resume which lists only MySQL represents a candidate least likely to perform skilled DBA functions. I tend to leap out of my chair when I see a resume that lists Postgres and Oracle (but does not list MySQL). Oracle for the skill set; Postgres for the cost savings ;-)

It isn't always about the tool; It's often about the skills associated with a tool that matter. Postgres will more likely enable you to learn the right skills.

major · 2006-01-08 21:28:06

Thanks for your (some) good explanations. I think i will install postgres some time in the future..

LB06 · 2006-01-08 23:07:16

major wrote:

Thanks for your (some) good explanations. I think i will install postgres some time in the future..

Warning: If you don't have a specific goal to reach (aka you are just meddling around) you won't find postgres very satisfying. Postgres shines in more complex environments. If you have only one, two or three tables to keep track of your CD database for instance, MySQL will do just fine. SQLite would probably even be a better choice.

paperinik · 2006-01-09 02:54:06

Postgres, because it's easier to setup.

Arch Linux

#1 2006-01-04 13:53:53

Database

#2 2006-01-04 14:11:10

Re: Database

#3 2006-01-04 14:21:06

Re: Database

#4 2006-01-04 15:29:03

Re: Database

#5 2006-01-04 16:20:40

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#6 2006-01-04 16:30:13

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#7 2006-01-04 19:42:56

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#25 2006-01-09 02:54:06

Re: Database

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