Re: Need concrete "Why Postgres not MySQL" bullet list

On Thursday 21 August 2003 20:16, elein wrote:
> Ian's list is excellent.
>
> I would like to add to the point about pl languages.
>
> Use the right tool for the job:
> Procedure may be written in tcl, plpgsql, perl,
> python, R (statistics) so you can use the right tool
> for the job at hand as well as leverage your
> existing knowledge of a given scripting language.

Good point. I will try and get a working draft
together by the start of next week.

> It would help to solidify our specific examples
> of failures if the version and platform of mysql
> is included.

Yup. I have compiled a long list of behavioural
oddities for my own reference; I've researched
many of these in the MySQL documentation (to make
sure I'm not seeing things), and an astounding number
are actually documented and show no signs of
going away, even in the 4.x series. I will install a 4.1
alpha (?) version just to be on the safe side, as this is
being touted as "the will-MySQL-make-it-into-the
enterprise-league version" (i.e. the version with sub-selects).

> Clarifications with postgresql
> functionality working correctly may be appropriate
> in some cases (also include version & platform).

Here we need to emphasize the progress made in 7.3 / 7.4,
I get the impression a lot of people still see Postgres as
the "database without the DROP COLUMN functionality"...

Ian Barwick
barwick(at)gmx(dot)net