Page 1 of 1

Database Servers/ Programming Languages

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 2:06 pm
by DGW
Hi, for a project I'm investigating different database servers and programming languages for developing dynamic web application of a website such as Monster (applying to jobs, submitting resume...employers can view applications online, do selections and rank potential candidates, admin can update the database with new jobs and job status etc.)

I would like to do a compare and contrast type report comparing the more mainstream database servers such as Oracle, Sybase, mySQL, PostgreSQL and using pros and cons find out which would be best suited for a project described above. Then, compare different languages to program the database such as PHP/Perl, Java, ASP, PeopleSoft.
(it would be best if I could also do some comparisons with the different comobinations i.e. PHP/Perl with mySQL, ASP with Sybase etc.)

I've been to some websites but all they do is write what's good about their product. Could some of you experts give your opinions or direct me to some good webpages to some comparisons?

If you request further information I can supply it, I didn't want to write too much in my first post. I'm very inexperienced with this topic so could you please try not to overwhelm me with too much technical terms (I'll still have my dictionary handy tho).

Thx!

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 2:14 pm
by Gen-ik
Just use MySQL and PHP... it's fast, stable, and easy to use.

The other database formats are slowly but surely being phased out.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 3:53 pm
by Celtis
Gen-ik wrote: The other database formats are slowly but surely being phased out.
And a new one is being introduced! SQLite is now bundled with PHP 5.0
http://www.hwaci.com/sw/sqlite/

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 10:37 pm
by fractalvibes
I think that the best answer is "it depends".....there are some cases where you could actually get by with Access/ASP and other cases where you really need a lot of horsepower, and everything in between.

mysql.com had some interesting performance statistics, but finding totally unbiased comparisons will not be easy; databases especially, and to some degree, language, is almost like discussing religion! (sad to say)

Phil J.

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 6:22 am
by nielsene
Gen-ik wrote:Just use MySQL and PHP... it's fast, stable, and easy to use.

The other database formats are slowly but surely being phased out.
If you think the other database formats are being phased out you do way too much work in the web-development world. Oracle and PostGreSQL are both very strong products, whose user base won't switch to MySQL without MySQL doing a complete re-examination of their interpretation of the sql data model. (Including deciding that Preformance isn't the end-all be-all of database management systems; its very important, but only if the database can adequately protect the integrity of the data)

Yes MySQL is fast; however, any database can be highly tuned to the almost read-only niche for which MySQL is often used. MySQL doesn't take database integrity as important and (integrity is more than just foreign keys, which MySQL only added recently; I beleive it still lacks a useful contraint system.) Triggers/stored procedures/rules and views are other important features MySQL lacks. Personally I would contest the stable and easy to use points; the few MySQL databases I've used have had data loss issues, but I'm not a MySQL expert nor am I the admin so I don't know what settings may be influencign that and of course anecdotes != data.

Plus MySQL AB, Inc's recently library license change can cause some people to be forced into either buying an expense commercial license, or sticking with the current version forever and not upgrading (to versions that possibly include some of the missing features.) This is why SQLite is replacing MySQL as the bundled library for PHP...