Re: FN-FORUM Real duh SQL question

date posted 15th July 2001 12:37

Hi Willie

AFAIK the big advantage that Postgres has over MySQL is that it's a fully
ACID compliant database. This means that it is fully transactional, so it's
possible to build robust data - critical appliation using it (such as
banking systems where a transaction can't be allowed to fail part way
though, it either has to succeed totally, or be rolled back to it's original
state). The biggest problem I can see with Postgres is trying to find
hosting for it.

http://openacs.org/philosophy/why-not-mysql.html contains quite lively
comments section at the bottom about the benefits of one over the other. My
take on it is that MySQL is excellent for data driven sites, where you're
pulling content etc out of a DB on the fly, but you don't want to be running
heavy weight e-commerce etc on it.

TBH I don't use either DB, we're a microshaft shop so it's Access/SQL Server
all the way for me, and apart from the cost of SQL Server I'm happy with
this. All my words of 'wisdom' are therefore highly suspect!

As far as numbers go I really wouldn't know. Of the people I know doing
small DB sites it seems pretty much split between ASP/Access and PHP/MySql.
Oh, and yes I was stirring the pot :)

HTH - again!

Norman