PostgreSQL 7.3

[wheezl]

The world's most advanced Open Source Database.

http://www.postgresql.org

I have been using this for years on other BSD Unices... It has recently hit the 7.3 release mark and is spiffy as heck. I compiled it last night and it works like a charm.

You may want to install the readline libs for the psql command line tool.

[macktheknife]

How does it compare to MySQL?

[wheezl]

Well they have been approaching usefulness from two different places.

MySQL has concentrated on simplicity and speed while PostgreSQL has concentrated on feature completeness and data integrity. Recently MySQL has added features that bring it closer to being a real database and PostgreSQL has been highly optimised to the point where it is faster than MySQL in many cases (though this constanly fluctuates with each release of each database).

Most people agree that PostgreSQL is the more sophistcated Database with better performance under high loads while MySQL tends to have better performance with fewer demands on the system.

MySQL is often used for small web sites with simple needs. PostgreSQL is often used when you want to step up to a real database but can't afford Oracle, Sybase, or MS-SQL Server.

All of that being said they are both great DBs with specific strenghts and weaknesses. You should pick the one that is right for you

Hopefully this post will not start a database holy war

[BenderBot1138]

Wow... who made that jimdandy of a webpage??? After seeing such a wild hydra... I'm wondering what else they can make like that...

[MacCoaster]

Originally posted by wheezl
Hopefully this post will not start a database holy war

Shall I start the war?

No, seriously. You got it exactly right. I've given up on MySQL because it's so piss poor in comparison to PostreSQL and MS-SQL. I'm using PostreSQL on both Linux and BSD and Microsoft SQL Server on Windows. Thankfully .NET's SQL APIs work great with PostreSQL so I don't have to pay another $5,000 for a db server software when PostreSQL will work just as good for my applications, which require more power than MySQL can deliver, but doesn't need the power Microsoft SQL Server has.

MySQL: Home users, small sites.
PostreSQL: Enterprise solutions requiring more horsepower.
Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2: True enterprise solutions requring the most horsepower.

What annoys me about MySQL is the fact that it isn't as compliant to ANSI SQL as PostreSQL and the commercial ones from Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM.