Database of the Year

decibel · 03-10-2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcs32

Although slightly off-topic I would say we are both right, depending on the interpretation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_by_zero

there especially "Under the standard rules for arithmetic on integers, rational numbers, real numbers and complex numbers, division by zero is undefined. Division by zero must be left undefined in any mathematical system that obeys the axioms of a field."

Hrm. A quick google (ansi sql divide by zero) shows that ANSI SQL92 apparently requires that division by zero is an error. Unfortunately, http://troels.arvin.dk/db/rdbms/ doesn't tell us what most databases do, though that google search tends to indicate that Sybase and MSSQL are the only two that give you an option here (which at least on MSSQL defaults to divide by zero is an error). Google shows that Oracle, DB2, Firebird and (I think) SQLite all consider 5/0 an error. So even if math folks have decided that division by zero is undefined, databases certainly feel it an error (actually computers in general deem it to be an error). So, yet another case where MySQL throws out the standards for no good reason. If they had wanted to allow this for people who it would make life easier on, the correct way would have been to provide an option to allow divide by zero = NULL, and have it default to off (ie: what MSSQL does). But MySQL has never seemed to be interested in doing things the right way.

James Day · 03-31-2006, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by decibel

Quote:

Originally Posted by fikret

MySQL now have one of Database pioneers, Jim Starkey, who created Interbase (count Firebird here too) so their future looks bright, but only if they do what Jim says :-)
MySQL is NOT open, with their dual license... Firebird and PostgreSQL are!

That's an if that's unlikely to happen. They've had some clued folks over there for years, yet there's still all kinds of broken-ness.

I spent the week before last at a gathering of a hundred or so full time employee MySQL developers. That included much face to face architecture discussion with Jim and Ann and others. Jim is listening to MySQL people and MySQL people are listening to Jim. It was a fun week. Lots of really productive activity.

There's broken-ness. Nobody should bet their business on it remaining.

cachemonet · 01-25-2007, 10:50 AM

Mysql. Its all I use because....well...........its all I know.

decibel · 01-25-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cachemonet

Mysql. Its all I use because....well...........its all I know.

If the only car you knew was a Yugo, would you vote it car of the year over a Rolls Royce?

James Day · 01-26-2007, 01:59 PM

I'd vote for the Yugo if I wanted to take over the world. The Rolls Royce manufacturing doesn't scale while I've used MySQL at Wikipedia in place that scaled from one shared box to top 10 web site in the world. All have interesting properties but MySQL is the open source one that's been proved in practice by lots of people. I've also used Sybase, Oracle and MS SQL Server in the past, but not for that level of performance demand. Nobody would argue that a Yugo is pretty but it is cost-effective when it comes to getting people moved from one place to another.

decibel · 01-28-2007, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Day

I'd vote for the Yugo if I wanted to take over the world. The Rolls Royce manufacturing doesn't scale

Perhaps you should take note of which car manufacturer is still in existence.

Yes you can make MySQL scale... with a hell of a lot of work. Just like you can safely store data in it... with a hell of a lot of work.