Re: [HACKERS] Raising funds for PostgreSQL
От | Don Baccus |
---|---|
Тема | Re: [HACKERS] Raising funds for PostgreSQL |
Дата | |
Msg-id | 3.0.1.32.19991206142750.00fff3f0@mail.pacifier.com обсуждение исходный текст |
Ответ на | Re: [HACKERS] Raising funds for PostgreSQL (Kyle Bateman <kyle@actarg.com>) |
Список | pgsql-hackers |
At 02:57 PM 12/6/99 -0700, Kyle Bateman wrote: *> - Allow a view of a union *> - Get rid of size restrictions on tuples (8K?) *> - Get rid of size restrictions on queries (16K)> - Resident functions that can execute with super-privileges> Thiswould mean that a PL function could execute as the user who created> it (or perhaps some other user the database creatermight specify). This> would allow certain information to come from a table that the calling user> might not normally have access to (without having access to the whole table). *> - Support for outer (and other kinds of) joins> - Column based permissions (I don't know if there are SQL standardsfor this)> - Support for passwords in the TCL interface (is it there now?) *> - Could a subquery be included in the target list of a query> select a,(select b from c) from d where e = f; > (Not sure if this one is even standard SQL.) *> - Support for "alter table drop column" While I don't have any money to offer, I just thought I'd point out that each of the starred items are things that I've run into while porting an application from Oracle in just the past three days. The system builds and allows the editing of tables via a web interface, and not being able to drop columns is a drag. I'm emulating it by renaming such columns to something invisible (the user doesn't see the actual table, just what the application thinks is in the table, so I just make it lie to the user after the renaming), which for this particular application will be acceptable for now. Outer joins can be worked around, but at times it's painful, though I'm finding that for this application at least at times I can rewrite the query and make it more readable and efficient without the outer join. Apparently, outer joins are a temptation for misuse. But there are times when they're really helpful. Allowing a view of a union can always be worked around in some sort of brute-force manner but can require studying the queries on it closely in order to properly rewrite them without the view. Tuple size restrictions coupled with the fact that LOBs aren't dumped are also painful. If 7.0 contains a "real" backup, will it be able to backup LOBs? That would help me in the port of this application. As the word gets out that Postgres has greatly improved in the recent past, more and more folks will be looking to move stuff over from commercial databases. This is partly driven by the web (entirely, in my case) where databases are extremely useful creatures, serving as the site's foundation in many cases. Oracle's pricing for web use is scandalous ($22K-ish for a fully-paid up unsupported license on a PIII 500!) and besides is overkill for all but the largest and busiest sites. Postgres can fill a very important niche in this environment. One that some folks think MySQL fills but, hey, I ain't trusting any money transactions to a non-transactional database! The focus on things like reliability and performance is extremely important, of course - MVCC in 6.5.*, a very noticable decline in memory leaks ("drastic" is not too strong a word), removing the uneccessary write to pg_log after read-only selects were crucial for my own web-based application. WAL and a good backup facility are really nice to think about for those of us who worry about our hardware's reliability, and referential integrity constraints for those of us who worry about our ability to write bug-free code (I can't wait to play with Jan's new updates), all very good things. But Postgres is maturing to the point where users can point to the reliability and performance aspects of the tool and find little to complain about. Now folks are going to start concentrating on SQL language features more exclusively :) - Don Baccus, Portland OR <dhogaza@pacifier.com> Nature photos, on-line guides, Pacific Northwest Rare Bird Alert Serviceand other goodies at http://donb.photo.net.
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