Re: Postgresql vs. Mysql

Hi All,

I'm sure that this question gets asked a lot. Can someone reference me to good material on why one would choose one vs. another? I greatly appreciate it!

I am designing a database (first ever, after reading a couple of texts) for a company department that currently doesn't have one. I'm pretty comfortable with the correctness of the structure and have a script ready to build the database with SQL
commands. The table structure is such that it appears that many queries would be calling other sub-queries (functions?). Other than that, there is nothing special about the database. I plan to use php to interface the database server with the internal
web and will run it on an HPUX environment machine with an Apache web server.

Thanks for the help.

Tom

On Thu, 2002-01-03 at 22:19, tom(dot)kemp(at)philips(dot)com wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Can someone reference me to good material on why one
> would choose one vs. another? I greatly appreciate it!

http://www.google.com/search?q=postgresql+vs.+mysql

Markus Bertheau

tom(dot)kemp(at)philips(dot)com writes:

> Hi All,
>
> I'm sure that this question gets asked a lot. Can someone reference
> me to good material on why one would choose one vs. another? I
> greatly appreciate it!

It used to be that MySQL was the choice for raw speed, and PostgreSQL
was the choice if you needed more advanced features or transactions.
Nowadays MySQL has transactions, and PostgreSQL is not nearly as pokey
as it used to be. In fact, if your application has a lot of writes
PostgreSQL will probably be faster.

http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/tim20001112.php3

> I am designing a database (first ever, after reading a couple of
> texts) for a company department that currently doesn't have one.
> I'm pretty comfortable with the correctness of the structure and
> have a script ready to build the database with SQL commands. The
> table structure is such that it appears that many queries would be
> calling other sub-queries (functions?). Other than that, there is
> nothing special about the database. I plan to use php to interface
> the database server with the internal web and will run it on an HPUX
> environment machine with an Apache web server.

My suggestion would be to use PostgreSQL, and make sure you get a good
book (like Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties), and then subscribe to the
pgsql-general (and perhaps pgsql-sql) mailing lists, but then again I
am biased. Some people get confused by PostgreSQL's fancier features,
and so that might be a reason to go with MySQL. Also there are a lot
of folks using the PHP + MySQL combination, and sometimes there are
benefits to running with the popular crowd.

> Thanks for the help.
>
> Tom

Jason

Hi Tom,

I was asked the same thing by my boss. I work for an Electricity Company in
Australia that bought the ISP I work for and they use multiple platforms. I
used PostgreSQL and they wanted to use MySQL. All of our databases where
running PostgreSQL and they had MySQL. There has been a complete re-shuffle
in the business with our guy being trained in the IT area and their guys
appear to have just fallen into the position. Here was part of my reply:

In planning what to use remember the following:

If 98% is sucking data - MySQL is the best solution - Has transaction logs
to replay backup databases.
MySQL - 1400% not a typo 1400% - faster than Oracle.

If you want a solution for general data entry, integrity, more generalised
system, transaction support and a little more robust system - PostgreSQL is
the best solution.

We can use either, what we do not want is to be trapped into dead-end
technology.

The thing we will need to modify are the replace and update statements for
the different languages but in general they are not that distant.

PostgreSQL and MySQL are multiplatform programs. The major problem with
Microsoft is that it is Microsoft based. You become trapped into using
Microsoft Programs but still remembering, PHP can call data from an SQL
server.

BREAKDOWN: MySQL is faster. PostgreSQL has more functionality but is a
little slower.

Kris

-----Original Message-----
From: pgsql-novice-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org
[mailto:pgsql-novice-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org]On Behalf Of
tom(dot)kemp(at)philips(dot)com
Sent: Friday, 4 January 2002 7:49 AM
To: pgsql-novice(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: [NOVICE] Postgresql vs. Mysql

Hi All,

I'm sure that this question gets asked a lot. Can someone reference me to
good material on why one would choose one vs. another? I greatly appreciate
it!

I am designing a database (first ever, after reading a couple of texts) for
a company department that currently doesn't have one. I'm pretty
comfortable with the correctness of the structure and have a script ready to
build the database with SQL
commands. The table structure is such that it appears that many queries
would be calling other sub-queries (functions?). Other than that, there is
nothing special about the database. I plan to use php to interface the
database server with the internal
web and will run it on an HPUX environment machine with an Apache web
server.

Thanks for the help.

Tom

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