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Is it worth learning....

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:05 pm
by Chris Corbyn
PostgreSQL???

I'd like to think I'm very competent in MySQL and PHP but I've never worked with, nor even tried to learn, postgresql. If I know MySQL is it pointless leaning PostGres?

Hell I'm not even sure how u pronounce it :? (Post-gresk ?)

There's the possiblilty that my new job ends in roughly 7 months so I'm trying to learn various things in my sparetime as a CV/resume boost. C++ is my current thing but I'll have gone through 2 rather chunky text books on that soon so I'm looking for something else. Java is right up there too.

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:16 pm
by feyd
it's always useful to know more than one way of doing something. Some institutions may only use PostgreSQL, or Oracle, or any of the other database.. it pays to know them in greater depth than the commonalities.. including ones outside the SQL realm.. as some systems are stored differently...

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:07 am
by n00b Saibot
from what I have seen around, Oracle is sure to turn up more often... ;)

Re: Is it worth learning....

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:38 am
by Roja
d11wtq wrote:I'd like to think I'm very competent in MySQL and PHP but I've never worked with, nor even tried to learn, postgresql. If I know MySQL is it pointless leaning PostGres?
Definitely not. It helps teach you portable SQL habits, like what SQL calls will (and wont) work on multiple databases. It will also teach you to appreciate the SQL standards, much like if you only coded for IE, you could avoid learning about html compliance.

Its definitely useful, whether for personal growth, or for resume growth.
d11wtq wrote:Hell I'm not even sure how u pronounce it :? (Post-gresk ?)
Wikipedia wrote:PostgreSQL's unusual-looking name gives some readers pause in trying to pronounce it, especially those who pronounce SQL as "sequel". PostgreSQL's developers pronounce it "post-gress-Q-L".
d11wtq wrote:There's the possiblilty that my new job ends in roughly 7 months so I'm trying to learn various things in my sparetime as a CV/resume boost. C++ is my current thing but I'll have gone through 2 rather chunky text books on that soon so I'm looking for something else. Java is right up there too.
Java and C++ are excellent resume extenders. I'd suggest MS-SQL before postgresql for resume building, as it is more common than postgresql in the corporate world. Of course, I prefer to avoid Microsoft products at all cost, so I would probably try learning Oracle instead (another DB that is more common in the corporate world than pgsql).

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:55 am
by onion2k
What do you mean by 'learning PostgresQL'? Do you mean learning how to do things like database replication and balancing and stuff? Or do you mean learning how to write PHP applications that use PostgresQL instead of MySQL? Learning to admin it is, in my opinion, pointless unless you want to become a sysadmin. Learning to work with it as a storage engine .. good plan .. but how about learning to write PHP apps that aren't tied to a specific database instead?

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:46 am
by Chris Corbyn
onion2k wrote:What do you mean by 'learning PostgresQL'? Do you mean learning how to do things like database replication and balancing and stuff? Or do you mean learning how to write PHP applications that use PostgresQL instead of MySQL? Learning to admin it is, in my opinion, pointless unless you want to become a sysadmin. Learning to work with it as a storage engine .. good plan .. but how about learning to write PHP apps that aren't tied to a specific database instead?
If I learn how to write apps in it, I would also, through matter of course, learn how to install and administer it to a certain degree. I learnt MySQL a good while ago, and with it, all the principles of database design. I also, as a matter of course at work have built MySQL clusters with NDB and replication. I'm not saying I'd take so far as cluster building but I'd learn how to set it up and configure it yes.

It sounds like Oracle is what I should look at. I can tie that in with my C++ too. Liverpool Victoria, Abbey National and some other big UK companies I've offered IT support to in past jobs used oracle so it's eveidently popular.

Thanks for your comments :D