[geeks] MySQL question

[Phil Stracchino]

On Mon, May 24, 2004 at 11:24:38PM -0500, Jonathan C. Patschke wrote:
> On Mon, 24 May 2004, Phil Stracchino wrote:
> 
> > Oh, I guess I must have been imagining the real-world example I just
> > mentioned.
> 
> I didn't say that.  I think I covered that in "application doesn't
> support PostgreSQL".  Rewriting the schema to cope with the RDBMS is
> part of supporting the RDBMS, just like getting rid of transactions used
> to be part of porting to MySQL.

My point was that if the same operations on the same schema are one or
more orders of magnitude faster on MySQL than on pgSQL, the need to
change things to optimize around that doesn't change that you are, in
fact, optimizing around a case where one of the two is underperforming
*for that operation*.

Personally, I think MySQL, particularly MySQL4, is much maligned with
insufficient cause.  True, it's not appropriate for all uses.  But for
many, it's perfectly fine.


> > Oh dear, excuse me, look at the time, must run.  I have an appointment
> > to flip burgers with Kern Sibbald, Dan Langille, and Mike Oliphant.  To
> > name just a few.
> 
> I wasn't referring to you.  I was referring to any number of dime-a-dozen
> web developers who think you cannot possibly have a website without a
> MySQL database somewhere doing something entirely pointless and driven
> by 20000 lines of obtuse perl code.

Or PHP, or ....    Oh, and let's use lots of Flash!


> > What is it about people on these lists who aren't happy unless they're
> > starting a fight?
> 
> Oroo?


Sorry if I overreacted.

I first installed MySQL myself because DigitalDJ requires it, then just
continued to use it for other projects like my library catalog because,
well, it was there and I saw no reason to install a second RDBMS.  I
know quite a few developers who've chosen MySQL as their primary target
(though also supporting, in the example of Bacula again, pgSQL and
SQLite) and built some very good tools on top of them.  So I'm afraid
that comment about duh-velopers just came across as dismissing all those
people, plus myself, as SQL-challenged morons.

Now I don't claim to be a SQL expert, by a long way, nor am I up to
speed on all the relative merits of pgSQL vs. MySQL.  I've probably
*forgotten* more SQL than I actually remember and use.  But still, I
dislike being [apparently] dismissed as an idiot.

Though there are subjects upon which I'll freely admit to being an
ignoramus.  :)


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