Mysql Vs. Postgresql

Perhaps posted it on wrong forums initially as I got only one response
(which was helpful but I was looking for more). Please help if you can!

===============================================

Hi Database Gurus,

Not to start a war among fanatics, but I just wanted to get honest
opinion/advise of smart folks like you about this. We are about to begin
development for a data intensive web based application and are faced with
the choice of database software. We (at least currently) are focusing on
free software. Some basic research has indicated both Postgresql and Mysql
as the best of lot.

Can people please advise as to pros/cons of each of these ? I am looking
from the following angles:

a.. Performance (Scalability)
b.. Reliability
c.. Ease of use
d.. Extensibility and portability (If we were to migrate to some other
database engine in the future, for example Oracle)
e.. Feature rich-ness
f.. Rich-ness of other tools available around the database engine
g.. Anything else that I have missed.

Are there any pointers to any online work that has done comparisons
between these two ?

Please do reply. Any help/guidance will be truly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

============================================================ =========
Email : myoda0001 AT yahoo.com
Website: http://www.eruditionhome.com [Excellent site for data mining
tutorials and resouces]
============================================================ =========

Re: Mysql Vs. Postgresql

I suggest you take a look at wikipedia, in particular:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_relational_databa se_management_systems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_SQL_syntax

myoda0001@yahoo.com wrote:
> Perhaps posted it on wrong forums initially as I got only one response
> (which was helpful but I was looking for more). Please help if you can!
>
> ===============================================
>
> Hi Database Gurus,
>
> Not to start a war among fanatics, but I just wanted to get honest
> opinion/advise of smart folks like you about this. We are about to begin
> development for a data intensive web based application and are faced with
> the choice of database software. We (at least currently) are focusing on
> free software. Some basic research has indicated both Postgresql and Mysql
> as the best of lot.
>
> Can people please advise as to pros/cons of each of these ? I am looking
> from the following angles:
>
> a.. Performance (Scalability)
> b.. Reliability
> c.. Ease of use
> d.. Extensibility and portability (If we were to migrate to some other
> database engine in the future, for example Oracle)
> e.. Feature rich-ness
> f.. Rich-ness of other tools available around the database engine
> g.. Anything else that I have missed.
>
> Are there any pointers to any online work that has done comparisons
> between these two ?
>
> Please do reply. Any help/guidance will be truly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> ============================================================ =========
> Email : myoda0001 AT yahoo.com
> Website: http://www.eruditionhome.com [Excellent site for data mining
> tutorials and resouces]
> ============================================================ =========

Re: Mysql Vs. Postgresql

Here are some links by me too:
I needed also to compare some features of mySQL and PostgresSQL for a
certain project.

PostGres is the most Oracle look-alike in the free-world
databases.MySQL used to be a runner-up behind PostGres,but as from
version 5.0 and 5.1 it has many new must-have features:
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mysql/article.php/35 92726

First,read these 2 articles with all the forum posts in them (huge) ,
dedicated mainly to comparison between the two databases:
http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/tim20001112.php3
http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/tim20000705.php3

then:
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mysql/article.php/32 88951
http://www-css.fnal.gov/dsg/external/freeware/pgsql-vs-mysql .html
http://sql-info.de/mysql/gotchas.html#1_1 ( a bit outdated )

Some things I found frustrating about mySQL:

They do not offer the the FETCH .. syntax for more than one row at a
time, i.e. you will have to loop and fetch 1 by 1 row. In PostGres you
can fetch as many rows as you want.

The LOB fieldsa are just ordinary Fields in mySQL , i.e. it is NOT so
flexible and it has some memory limitations as well. In PostGres they
are much like the Oracle LOBs ,where you have many options on them.


Both PostGres and mySQL do NOT provide any array interface for
manipulating large SELECT-like result statements. mySQL can be used
with an 3rd party library to emulate arrays:
http://datacharmer.blogspot.com/2005/11/mysql-5-general-purp ose-routine_28.html


You are probably going to use some API to access mySQL or PostgresSQL .
For mySQL C API I can tell you that there are some frustrating
limitations ,but it is good anyway. Their APIs both support most of the
new features. If you need more info about that ( I am using mySQL C API
right now ) , email me.

Cheers,
Dragomir Stanchev