Re: Request Tracker ( RT ) recommends MySQL

On Sat, Sep 10, 2005 at 01:12:45AM -0400, Chris Browne wrote:
> jnasby(at)pervasive(dot)com ("Jim C. Nasby") writes:
> >> One of our people did some performance tuning work, and found a
> >> number of queries that could be made *spectacularly* faster for
> >> PostgreSQL if tweaked to be less MySQL(tm)-specific (I surmise that
> >> the same changes would be either helpful or at least not hurtful
> >> for Oracle, Informix, and Sybase, though I can't be sure about
> >> SQLite).
> >
> > Note that the best way to change this situation is for users of RT
> > to request these changes. There's no real reason they can't support
> > alternative query syntaxes for different databases, other than it's
> > more work. If anything, they should make MySQL the exception case,
> > and use normal SQL syntax for everyone else. But none of this will
> > change unless people using the product (especially those sending
> > them money) request it.
>
> What you're proposing is not really to "make MySQL the exception
> case," but rather to cease to support it as an option.
>
> It's only going to be convincing if the vendor can be convinced that
> dropping support for their legacy of customers who are not unhappy
> with MySQL(tm) is the preferred approach. They have not been easy to
> convince thus far.

There's no technical reason I can think of why a piece of software
couldn't support different queries for different databases. They may
choose not to (which it sounds like they've done). Of course if enough
people complain, they might well change their mind as well.

On the flip-side, PostreSQL's optimizer does seem to be pretty picky
about query syntax; there's probably a fair amount that could be done to
improve how it plans certain cases.
--
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant jnasby(at)pervasive(dot)com
Pervasive Software http://pervasive.com work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf cell: 512-569-9461