I am an Oracle 9i DBA, but my personal choice is PostgreSQL.

I do not know if MySql is the best, but for me it is: simple, fast and stupidity proof.

Check!
Check!
And the buzzer sounds...

Sorry, but MySQL is anything but stupidity or idiot proof.

I like it, and in ansi sql mode it's pretty good, but there are some bothersome quirks which can bite you if you aren't looking out for them, which means it isn't stupidity proof.

Insert the number 8192029039302939 into an int4 field, and MySQL silently inserts 2147483647 for you. Insert the date "green eggs and ham" and it silently inserts '0000-00-00'. Both of these are fixed in the ANSI SQL compliance mode (ask yourself, should a database have ANSI SQL compliance as an option that is off by default?) But not the biggest one, the fact that when you tell MySQL to create a table of type innodb in a database that doesn't support them, it silently creates said table with MyISAM format, and allows you to declare foreign key relations that simply don't exist, since they're on the wrong type of table, all with no errors? And there's no way to change this behaviour, the ansi switch doesn't affect it.

MySQL is, however, fast and simple, and for some tasks, it's not just a good choice but the best choice. Idiot proof takes a database like Interbase / Firebird. Postgresql certainly isn't idiot proof, but it's closer than MySQL.

If firebird is idiot proof I should apply for
a job as a door-stopper :}

I must be sub-IHC standard ;) since I fail
to even install it.


Cheers,
Tink

Sorry, didn't mean to impugn your abilities there, Tinkster. What I meant is that for the typical user Ibase is idiot proof, and needs no maintenance and won't much up your data.

Getting it running is a pain, unless you can get it pre-installed via RPMs or something in your OS.

It has gotten easier with the 1.5 release, have you tried that?

-----------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Tinkster
If firebird is idiot proof I should apply for
a job as a door-stopper :}

I must be sub-IHC standard since I fail
to even install it.
---------------------------------------------------------

The installation options stated in the firebird documentation is legal. It's just that the OS you're using is not LSB compliant (Slackware). I was able to install it without even reading the manual aside from the fact that I did it just the first time I heard of firebird (just for curiousity)

Interbase is a superb database engine and Firebird the open-source version of it.

I don't do much Dbase managment I have only tried MySQL classes and it is what I will vote for till I have tested the others ...

Ta

It seems weird that people are having trouble installing Firebird.

`cd /usr/ports/databases/firebird`
`make install`

And you're done.
Ports tree takes care of downloading source, patching, configuring, compiling, and installing for you.

Literally. Two commands.
Don't reinvent the wheel if you don't have to...

Nothing beats mySQL imo.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scott Marlowe
Sorry, but MySQL is anything but stupidity or idiot proof.

I like it, and in ansi sql mode it's pretty good, but there are some bothersome quirks which can bite you if you aren't looking out for them, which means it isn't stupidity proof.
Insert the number 8192029039302939 into an int4 field, and MySQL silently inserts 2147483647 for you.

Rubbish mySQL is not that stupid.

When I try your example I get 8192029039302939 is not a valid integer value for field 'test'
also have you never heard of default values for fields?

There is no way I can accept MySQL is that bad.

Firebird!

For those who haven't tried it yet...

Simple, stable, fast, fully featured.
The best in my opinion.

I started out with MySQL. It was brilliant!
Fast, handled great scads of data.

Then I needed Ref. Integ., Triggers, Stored Procedures, and admin-free running.
Sure, I knew it was coming to MySQL eventually, but do you use a quad-turbo Daewoo to pull a six-berth caravan?
No. You use something that was designed for the job, from the ground up.

MySQL has it's place. It should stay there, as it does it very well.

Need more features for your app? Use the right tool for the job. Use Firebird.

Here's an exact cut and paste from MySQL 3.23.41 on my computer as I sit in front of it right now:

mysql> create table test (i1 int4);
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> insert into test values (8192029039302939);
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> select * from test;
+------------+
| i1 |
+------------+
| 2147483647 |
+------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

Maybe you've got the --ansi switch turned on on yours, but by default, 99% of all MySQL databases are running without it, and turning it on breaks a fair number of applications that use it.

Maybe you should do some research next time before calling rubbish.

and yes, I've heard of default values. What's your point? (besides the one under your hat mayhaps.)

Ok more research next time. I did try it out and it would not let me do the update.

So I have more to learn, apologies then.