[NTLUG:Discuss] MYSql vs. postgresql

Terry Hancock hancock at anansispaceworks.com
Mon Feb 17 19:03:22 CST 2003


On Monday 17 February 2003 11:35 am, Wayne Dahl wrote:
> Hi guys.  My wife and I are considering starting a business and will
> need a database.  Any recommendations in the Linux realm?  What are the
> pros and cons of both MYSql and postgresql?  How hard are they to
> migrate to a different machine when hardware needs upgrading?  What
> about front end clients for each?  Since both are included in my distro
> (RH8.0), I would like your input before we begin setting things up.

I use MySQL as a flat data storage system in combination with a Zope front
end.  It hasn't really seen serious action yet, but I have not seen any 
slowdowns or indications of any kind that it will give us trouble.  I'm in 
the process of greatly expanding our use of it.  It is very well documented, 
and I have some trust in the performance tests and very wide use of the 
program.

OTOH, I have not given PostgreSQL much of a chance. To be frank, I started 
reading the documentation I had which literally starts with a history of the 
universe, apparently trying to place PostgreSQL at the pinnacle of creation, 
followed by a FUD attack on MySQL and a complaint about "lost effort" due to 
competition rather than cooperation.  Well, by the time it actually got down 
to brass tacks, I was pretty put off and shelved it.  ;-D

I wonder if this HOWTO is still where most people start on PostgreSQL.

Anyway, I have heard from PostgreSQL partisans that it supports a far more 
complete set of SQL syntax.  However, most of the things that have 
traditionally been used to assert PostgreSQL's superiority (like 
transactions), have now been implemented in MySQL, so the completeness gap is 
slowly closing. On the other hand, I have not heard any claims that 
PostgreSQL is closing the performance gap on MySQL.  The remaining syntax 
additions you get with PostgreSQL are apparently pretty esoteric, as I have 
not heard any justifications of their application that made any sense to me.

This may partly be a product of my approach to the database system, which is 
primarily as a repository, and not something that should contain too much 
logic. I prefer to keep the logic in a Turing complete language (I use 
Python) that I have much more understanding of, and which is essentially 
capable of any extensions I need to add to it.  I don't mean to assert that 
this is the only viable approach, but it's what works for me.

Anyway, to make a long story short, after considering the arguments, and my 
own experience with MySQL, I have decided not to switch over to PostgreSQL 
despite increasing database requirements in my business projects.  It looks 
to me like MySQL will keep doing the job I need.

Of course, given different requirements, emphasis, and experience, YMMV. I 
can't assert that PostgreSQL wouldn't do just as well, only that MySQL seems 
completely adequate.

Cheers,
Terry

--
Terry Hancock ( hancock at anansispaceworks.com )
Anansi Spaceworks  http://www.anansispaceworks.com

"Some things are too important to be taken seriously"



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