Re: How much work is a native Windows application?

> Lee Kindness wrote:
>> Sure It'd be nice to have a native PostgreSQL on XP Server (I don't
>> see the point in consumer level Microsoft OSs) but how high is the
>> demand? What's the prize? What are the current limitations - fork,
>> semaphores, ugly interface...?

> The demand for PostgreSQL on Windows is currently as near to zero
> as you can imagine. This is probably because there is no viable
> PostgreSQL on Windows.
>
> If written correctly, a Win32 version of PostgreSQL would rock
> the Windows world. I see no reason why it would be limted to the
> "professional" version. Hell, it could even run on Windows 98.
>
> Right now, in the small to medium space, there is only one choice for
> Windows, MSSQL. It requires the "professional" or server versions of
> the Microsoft platforms. PostgreSQL could come in and run on all of
> them.
>
> PostgreSQL's feature set and price ($0), with a good installer, would
> do VERY well.

If "fixing" PostgreSQL to "work" on Win32 caused a whole lot of breakage on the Unix side, that would _not_ be a "win." It might do well on Win32, but breakage could lead to a LOSS of interest on Unix, as people decided to take the point of view that the developers considered it more important to toady to Win-Needs than to improve how it works on Unix.

Is that a totally "fair" point of view? No, but in a world where New York office buildings get bombed resulting in absolutely bizarre combinations of cheering and jeering, an expectation of "fairness" is definitely too much to ask. (You won't get anything resembling "fairness" at the airport, that's for sure...)

How about a totally different perspective:
Why not let someone else go after the Windows "market"?

People are actively working on SAP-DB and Firebird, and putting pretty serious efforts into the Win32 side of those database systems. How outrageous an idea is it to say: "Let them deal with that set of headaches?"

Aside from that, there's also the "Show me the patch" option. If someone is excited about porting PostgreSQL to Win32, nothing is stopping them from doing so, and contributing patches back. There seem to be several such efforts out there; if one becomes mature enough, it may represent a useful basis to port in to make the main codebase "more portable."

There are at least the two clear options:
- Other DBs;
- Volunteers porting PostgreSQL to Win32.

If a "winner" emerges, that would surely be useful to guide later PostgreSQL efforts.
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