Re: (another ;-)) PostgreSQL-derived project ...

On Sep 25, 2011, at 2:11, Albretch Mueller <lbrtchx(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

> ~
> Well, at least I thought you would tell me where the postgresql-base
> is to be found. The last version I found is:
> ~
> http://freebsd.csie.nctu.edu.tw/pub/distfiles/postgresql/postgresql-base-8.3beta2.tar.bz2
> ~
> and I wondered what that is and why there are no postgresql-base
> after "8.3beta2"
> ~
>> I cannot imagine you would benefit that much by removing these capabilities compared to simply ignoring them.
>> Plus, by having it in the DB I avoid considerable considerable overhead
> ~
> Can you or do you know of anyone who has made those kinds of
> imaginations falsifiable?

No; not worth my effort.

> ~
>> ... and can now use those features within my SQL statements/queries.
> ~
> For what exactly? Isn't a comparison on 4 numeric bytes (1 (or 1/2)
> word in modern hardware) more efficient than comparing sequences of
> string characters?

The ARRAY_AGG() function in particular has been very useful in queries I write.

> ~
>> simply guessing that in simply being feature rich PostgreSQL has sub-optimal performance
> ~
> I never said that

Your whole post implies this otherwise there is no meaningful reason to look for something excluding features (assuming proper and correct implementation).

>
>> That approach strips down on application complexity. My apps don't have to do any post-processing of the data - I query the records I need and the app merely displays them.
> ~
> Again have you actually tested those assumptions?
>

Is this the best response you can come up with? The crux of the counter-argument is that by having PostgreSQL handle 'advanced' features application code avoids the need to do so. The principle of code-reuse and the fact the features are executed by the same program holding the data make this a de-facto truth (and yes, one that we are probably taking for granted). But, if you really feel a bare-bones implementation of PostgreSQL is worthwhile you are the one that needs to test (and state explicitly) your own underlying assumptions to see whether they hold and thus make such an endeavor worthwhile.

David J.