[CLUE-Tech] Clue: Database

[Jeffery Cann]

Richard,

It really depends on what you wish to store in the database.

Postgres has more features that are equivalent to Oracle / DB2 / Sybase / 
MS-SQL.  Their goal is to produce a database that is equivalent in features 
and speed with 'commerical' RDBMS.  Thus far, they have succeeded in the 
standard features.

MySQL differs from PG because their stated goals (according to their manual) 
is SQL support and speed.  Yes, they will have transactions finally but there 
are other features, such as referential integrity (i.e., Foreign Keys) that 
(again according to their manual) will never be implemented because it 
violates the 'speed' rule.

So, you have to ask yourself a few questions:

1.  How important is the data in my database?
2.  To what level will I normalize the entities in my database?
3.  How much of your data integrity do you want to protect using the database?

If your data is extremely valuable, I would recommend PG because it has much 
better error recovery and it the transactions and FK constraints allow you to 
guarantee that data will not be lost. 

If you wish to normalize your data at all, then MySQL will not help with 
referential constraints.  It does not support hooking tables together using 
Foreign Keys.  This means it is up to you (the application programmer) to 
enforce data relationships.  In my 7 years of building database applications, 
this is always a Bad Idea (tm).  There are many reasons this model fails, but 
to sum it up:  the database is much better than programmers at enforcing 
integrity rules.

However, if you want a FAST flat-file database that supports SQL (which IMHO) 
is much easier for data retrieveal than ISAM, the definetely use MySQL.

Jeff

On Friday 01 February 2002 06:40 pm, Richard Knechtel wrote:
> I am working on a Kylix application and am wondering what would be the best
> general databse to use for the application.  I have used Oracle and DB2 at
> work mainly. But normal Linux users don't have these installed.  Which is
> probably the best general database to use ?  MySQl or Progress? or is there
> another that might be better.
>
> Thanks,
>
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