Re: Perl/PostgreSQL niche

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Re^2: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by pg (Canon) on Sep 06, 2005 at 04:37 UTC
It is always difficult to compare two things, unless one is better than the other in all senses. However MySQL does win two important aspects: Speed. PostgreSQL targets a full set of features, when MySQL aims performance. Performance is extreamly important for database applications. It is easier for you to work around the features, the worst just go the long way, do more coding yourself. There is almost no way to get around performance. You can do things to speed up the application, but evetually it is determined by the database. Security. MySQL grants much finer access control of database components.	[reply]
Re^3: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by ghenry (Vicar) on Sep 06, 2005 at 06:06 UTC
See yesterdays slashdot article about Comparing MySQL and PostgreSQL Walking the road to enlightenment... I found a penguin and a camel on the way..... Fancy a yourname@perl.me.uk? Just ask!!!	[reply]
Re^4: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by danmcb (Monk) on Sep 06, 2005 at 10:19 UTC
arrrgh ... I hate threads like that. but if you kind of speed read it, enough in there to kind of get a few clues out of. I'll be on the lookout for mysql's truncating behaviour - worrying.	[reply]
Re^5: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by cees (Curate) on Sep 06, 2005 at 14:02 UTC
Re^6: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by danmcb (Monk) on Sep 06, 2005 at 14:31 UTC
Re^3: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by SpritusMaximus (Sexton) on Sep 06, 2005 at 15:05 UTC
Speed: how many concurrent connections are we talking about here? Given equal hardware, PG supports a greater number of concurrent connections without bogging down; and with the 8.0 release, speed is on-par with MySQL in most areas. Look for speed improvements in 8.1. Security: "By default, PostgreSQL is probably the most security-aware database available ..." Database Hacker's Handbook Lithcfield et. al. Wiley Wiley	[reply]
Re^4: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by perrin (Chancellor) on Sep 06, 2005 at 16:18 UTC
I think your information is outdated. Using the older MyISAM tables, concurrent updates do not scale well on MySQL. The newer InnoDB tables scale very well, and have the same sort of locking system that PostgreSQL has.	[reply]
Re^3: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by danmcb (Monk) on Sep 06, 2005 at 09:56 UTC
good points. The extra features have to be very very tempting to be more important than speed and security.	[reply]
Re^3: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by merlyn (Sage) on Sep 06, 2005 at 13:02 UTC
PostgreSQL targets a full set of features, when MySQL aims performance. But from what I have read, it aims and misses, at least when you have an application that requires lots of updates, like a big e-commerce site. Without PostgreSQL's MVCC "concurrent update" feature, MySQL programs are required to lock the entire table to perform updates. This gets to be the bottleneck for such applications. So, while MySQL may be "speedier" on simple tests or mostly-readonly accesses, PostgreSQL is faster (and some say more robust) for real transactions. MySQL is structured access to files. PostgreSQL is a real transactional database. Your needs determine which is more appropriate. But please stop trotting out "speed" as a complete determiner. -- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.	[reply]
Re^4: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by dbwiz (Curate) on Sep 06, 2005 at 15:28 UTC
But from what I have read, it aims and misses You haven't read the entire story, I'm afraid. MySQL programs are required to lock the entire table to perform updates. That is not correct. Since version 3.23, MySQL has had the capability of locking at record level, using InnoDB tables. I am administering an application where a MySQL database handles several thousand of concurrent updates, using transactions and referential integrity, without effort, providing a high level of efficiency.	[reply]
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Re^2: Perl/PostgreSQL niche by danmcb (Monk) on Sep 06, 2005 at 09:53 UTC
Well, I only started working on sited with a db recently. I jumped into mysql first, because at the beginning you are unsure of what you're getting into, and a large user base, loads of web info, and so on, has a strong attraction from that position. That is perfectly logical. Now, after a few months, I see the possibilities of Posgres - but will I be limited enough by mySql to change at some point? Maybe, if I go for a big teardown/rebuild, which may happen. But it won't be for a while. For many in my situation, it would be never.	[reply]