Thread: compatibility issue

Dear Sir,

             I have down loaded postgreSQL 8.0.3 for windows. I have
certain queries about JDBC driver to be used with it.

* If I use the JDBC driver(8.1dev Build 400) released with postgreSQL
8.0.3 to communicate with postgreSQL 7.1.3,will there be any problem?

* I have the JDBC driver that was released with postgreSQL 7.1.3. If I
use this driver(the one supplied with postgreSQL 7.1.3) for
communicating with postgreSQL 8.0.3,will there be any problem?


I'm raising this question because,my application has to communicate with
both postgreSQL 7.1.3 and postgreSQL 8.0.3 dynamically.

I request you to respond @ the earliest. Thanks in advance.

sincerely,
Sarveswaran M

sarves wrote:

> * If I use the JDBC driver(8.1dev Build 400) released with postgreSQL
> 8.0.3 to communicate with postgreSQL 7.1.3,will there be any problem?

In general we only test back to 7.2. The wire protocol is still the same
in 7.1, but things such as transaction isolation level handling and the
structure of internal database tables used by the metadata methods have
changed since 7.1. So the driver may well break depending on what you
ask it to do.

I suggest you test your actual application against 7.1 with the 8.1 driver.

> * I have the JDBC driver that was released with postgreSQL 7.1.3. If I
> use this driver(the one supplied with postgreSQL 7.1.3) for
> communicating with postgreSQL 8.0.3,will there be any problem?

We don't usually test forward compatibility of drivers at all. You can
try it, but I wouldn't be too hopeful.. Also, you're obviously missing
out on driver bugfixes since the 7.1 days (there are lots!)

You really want to move off 7.1 if you can -- it is ancient and I think
now falls into the "completely unmaintained" bucket..

-O