Thread: I need your thoughts ....
Hello,
I am starting to write a new application where I'll need a fairly light local database engine when the user is travelling but with the ability to connect to a central db server once back in the office. The central server will be PostgreSQL, but I have got questions about the local server. I would love it to be PostgreSQL, which would simplify a lot of things as although the volume of the local database will be fairly small: a few hundreds or records on a maximum of 20 tables, but the queries might be complex and the benefit of stored procedures if of great value to me.
My constraints are:
1- I won't be with the users for the setup
2- Ideally I'd like a one-step setup (db and my app), or at least with no questions asked (fully automated setup)
3- the users will be running on Windows and possibly on Mac within 18 months
Is PostgreSQL suited for this especially point 2.
Any thoughts or advice ?
Thanks in advance
Didier
--As of March 14, 2010 9:19:30 AM -0500, Didier Gasser-Morlay is alleged to have said: > I am starting to write a new application where I'll need a fairly light > local database engine when the user is travelling but with the ability to > connect to a central db server once back in the office. The central > server will be PostgreSQL, but I have got questions about the local > server. I would love it to be PostgreSQL, which would simplify a lot of > things as although the volume of the local database will be fairly small: > a few hundreds or records on a maximum of 20 tables, but the queries > might be complex and the benefit of stored procedures if of great value > to me. > > > My constraints are: > 1- I won't be with the users for the setup > 2- Ideally I'd like a one-step setup (db and my app), or at least with > no questions asked (fully automated setup) > 3- the users will be running on Windows and possibly on Mac within 18 > months --As for the rest, it is mine. I'd say to take a look at SQLite for this, actually. PostgreSQL is definitely better for the central server, but for very light-duty database work and ease of install SQLite is probably a better choice. It's fairly feature-complete, and SQL compliant. One thing it does _not_ have however is stored procedures. You can use PostgreSQL for it, but it will take more work to get the setup working seamlessly. SQLite will be easy to make seamless there, at the cost of possibly a bit more work on the backend. Daniel T. Staal --------------------------------------------------------------- This email copyright the author. Unless otherwise noted, you are expressly allowed to retransmit, quote, or otherwise use the contents for non-commercial purposes. This copyright will expire 5 years after the author's death, or in 30 years, whichever is longer, unless such a period is in excess of local copyright law. ---------------------------------------------------------------
On 2010-03-14, Didier Gasser-Morlay <didiergm@gmail.com> wrote: > I am starting to write a new application where I'll need a fairly light > local database engine when the user is travelling but with the ability to > connect to a central db server once back in the office. The central server > will be PostgreSQL, but I have got questions about the local server. I would > love it to be PostgreSQL, which would simplify a lot of things as although > the volume of the local database will be fairly small: a few hundreds or > records on a maximum of 20 tables, but the queries might be complex and the > benefit of stored procedures if of great value to me. > > My constraints are: > 1- I won't be with the users for the setup > 2- Ideally I'd like a one-step setup (db and my app), or at least with no > questions asked (fully automated setup) It can be done if you use a big enough hammer. at work we chain-load the old .MSI format installer with some values we've chosen for passwords etc. it works 99% of the time. you get problems when the user already has postgres installed, but they they usually also havethe wrong version installed :( > 3- the users will be running on Windows and possibly on Mac within 18 > months should nbot be a problem, > Is PostgreSQL suited for this especially point 2. if you can live without the stored procedures and make do with an embedded database engine like SQLite instead that's make install easier.