in reply to Stick w/the DBMs
in thread Question about properly laying out a database

My employer is the type that says, "Show me a working prototype and then we'll refine it." It's quite aggravating when the functionality isn't fully nailed down, so I am definately going to stick with DB_File.

The suggestion for normalizing the database was EXACTLY what I needed. (thanks joealba!). I've done that and it has drastically improved the database. I have some books on MySQL coming soon, and I intend to tackle learning it quite soon. Who knows... perhaps I'll be rewriting the script 6 months later. Question though: how stable is MySQL in comparison to say, a DBM or a flat file for small (under 5000 entries) databases? Is it realistic to think that I could set up a system that allows them to add, edit, and remove records with a web interface and not have to be there to maintain it? I have yet to work with it very much, so it will be a challenge :-)

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Re: Re: Stick w/the DBMs
by chip (Curate) on Dec 13, 2001 at 06:56 UTC
    MySQL and PostgreSQL are very stable and reliable. They're also a lot heavier than DB_File et al, because they have their own permissions systems.

        -- Chip Salzenberg, Free-Floating Agent of Chaos

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Re: Re: Stick w/the DBMs
by sligi (Sexton) on Dec 15, 2001 at 05:31 UTC
    Question though: how stable is MySQL in comparison to say, a DBM or a flat file for small (under 5000 entries) databases?

    Well, that depends - mostly on the load, I'd think. With such a small db it's hard to generate enough load to really stress the system. You probably would not feel the difference at all as everything will fit in memory just nicely.

    With a RDBMS you have the flexibility of the relational data model and the power of SQL. It may not be necessary in this project, but maybe in the next one. I found PostgreSQL Tutorial to be a fairly good introduction to SQL.

    Is it realistic to think that I could set up a system that allows them to add, edit, and remove records with a web interface and not have to be there to maintain it?

    If you set up any system - especially a database - it is bound to require maintenance. Something can always go wrong, and eventually will.

    Here's one (a bit old) article which I found enlightning: MySQL and PostgreSQL Compared by Tim Perdue; and here's another: Why Not MySQL? by Ben Adida.

    --
    sligi

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