Comments on: Open Web, Closed Databases?

By: Matt Spong

Matt Spong — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 17:22:30 +0000

I used to have the same opinion as you, until I read an article on the subject a few weeks ago (sorry, I don’t have the URL at the moment). Basically the point the article made was that in order to be database-agnostic, you basically have to target the lowest common denomiator – nothing more than simple SQL. Every database has its own strong points, its own unique APIs and abilities, and so on, and if you ignore these, you’re not using your tools to their full potential.

It’s a good point. Why limit your application, in terms of power and especially performance, by not using your database to its fullest potential?

By: Adam Fitzpatrick

Adam Fitzpatrick — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 05:12:49 +0000

Another factor is that mysql is ubiquitous among the most affordable web site hosting providers (though this might raise a chicken-or-egg question). You generally need to spend a bit more money to store your data in something else, probably by paying for a dedicated or colocated server and administering the alternative DBMS yourself. So most potential users – and, quite likely, the project’s developers themselves, if they don’t want to host the project from their bedrooms or offices – only have access to mysql.

(Contradictory evidence in the form of listings of comparably priced web hosting providers who support postgresql would be most welcome.)

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 18:21:50 +0000

It’s performance and bloat issues with the database abstraction classes out there. One we looked at was bigger than WordPress itself!

By: Dominic Mitchell

Dominic Mitchell — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:49:09 +0000

Hear Hear! I'm quite distressed at having to install an an entirely different project just to get wordpress working with my database. And by the sound of things, WP 1.5 won't be any better. :-(

By: Mik

Mik — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:39:55 +0000

There is a DBI type of module in PEAR called PEAR::DB (a possibly more original name than DBI :-)) that does just that. The comany I work in has a web app in PHP written with this, developed against MySQL and deployed in MS SQL Server and Oracle without much problems. You can find it at http://pear.php.net/package/DB.
I guess most PHP developers just don’t care enough to use it. It requires a certain discipline to stay in the standard SQl specs.