[geeks] Desktops

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Thu, 9 May 2002, Joshua D Boyd wrote:

> Second, in theory you could create a file of access tables, and then in
> access them through ODBC.

It's possible to to this to use MySQL as the backend for MS Access.  It's
slow, but it works rather reliably.  I never tried it with multiple users,
but I have my doubts as to whether it would work.

The downside is that you're stuck with ODBC datatypes instead of any nifty
ones that may be part of the RDBMS.

> Ideally the similar solution would be backend independent, but we still lack
> a good database for single user purposes (or single user at a time), short of 
> requiring mysql or postgres be installed and administered.

MySQL is available in embedded-library form. :)

> Sure, the is GDB and BerkeleyDB, etc, but those don't provide enough
> features, like querying via SQL commands.

That can all be added on top.  BDB tables in MySQL do just that.  It just
requires creative use of key-names and some metadata.  Not that it isn't a
PITA to implement--but it is quite doable.

> Further, it is foolish to be too independent of backend because then you
> loose out on non standard special features, which Postgres in particular is 
> full of.

True.  You end up with the eunuch that is ODBC.  Although, for being
rather impotent, it serves the need of most applications that would
benefit from the basics of SQL.

--Jonathan