Re: [Windows] Feedback on PG? - Mailing list pgsql-general

On Wed, 20 May 2009 09:32:13 +0200
Gilles <codecomplete@free.fr> wrote:

> Hello
>
>     I'm looking for an open-source DBMS that runs on Linux and
> Windows. In order to make an informed choice, I would like some
> feedback on the Windows port of PostgreSQL, as compared to MySQL
> and Firebird (if you know of yet other solutions, I'm also
> interested.)

It was a while I didn't "seriously" touch Windows.
Recently I had to install PostgreSQL on XP.
This is a very superficial first impression.

I was surprised how polished the installation was.
On Windows the installer even comes with a couple of goodies more:
namely a tuning wizard and some debugging components.
Nothing that really make you miss the *nix environment... but still
a quite nice impressing experience.

I was even surprised to see the installer offer you a chance to
install Drupal.

> Is the Windows port on par with the *nix version, and with those
> other alternatives? Apart from the fact that, unlike MySQL,
> PostgreSQL doesn't require buying a license when developping
> commercial applications, are there technical reasons why I should
> choose PostgreSQL instead of MySQL or Firebird?

From a very naive POV I'd say MySQL is still an SQL interface to the
filesystem. PostgreSQL is a mature RDBMS.
On small projects where data aren't that valuable and the
application is nearly totally read-only or you're willing to reinvent
the wheel of concurrent access to your data I'd go with MySQL.
As C++ or python may be "boring/annoying" compared to VB or PHP,
PostgreSQL may be "boring/annoying" compared to MySQL. But as soon
as you reach some grade of complexity/value of your data you're
really going to appreciate what PostgreSQL can offer.

From a pure programming point of view, PostgreSQL is really much
more fun to deal with. It's not sloppy accepting everything you
throw at it... and regretting it later, it is much more standard
compliant, it warns you earlier about problems and try to give you
good hints on how to solve them, it let you use some more complex
SQL features (and more to come) it has support for full text search
and spatial/geographic data/indexes on a transactional engine, it
has a plethora of extension modules.
Functions, triggers and rules are much more mature than on MySQL.
schemas may really come handy simply as namespaces or as a tool to
manage grant.

I think you could connect from Delphi through ODBC, meybe even on
some .NET driver. I think ODBC should be more mature... but don't
trust me.
For "updating"... PostgreSQL is still not able to do "hot upgrades"
from major versions. You've to backup->restore.
On Debian... this happens auto-magically... I've no idea about what
the Windows installer can do when upgrading.
If you've availability constraint this could be a bit annoying. If
you've HA constraints you're going to have some kind of replication
solution that will somehow let you do "hot upgrades".
Anyway this shouldn't be your concern if you're dealing with a SOHO.

Coming from a web background but where transactions and some
"advanced" features are essential to survival I got the impression
that actually even for small SOHO applications even when server and
client are on the same box pg may be a very good choice.

--
Ivan Sergio Borgonovo
http://www.webthatworks.it