I have often wanted to do this. Years ago, when I was working with Sybase databases it was perfectly possible. You simply qualified the table name with a database identifier as I recall eg

SELECT m.myfield from second_db.mytable m;

The advantages are that you may have two otherwise unconnected systems which need separately backing up etc but where one uses the other for lookup purposes (eg a reservations system uses a lookup to an accounts system to get the customer name and number).

I have never understood why postgreSQL hasn't seen this as a priority in development in more recent months. Maybe someone will enlighten us both!

Hilary

At 11:18 08/07/2004 -0400, Jodi Kanter wrote:

I am working with someone who uses MySQL and says that he has two separate databases in which he can query across. I am curious if that is something that can be done in postgres?
Any comments on whether or not that is a good thing?
Thanks
Jodi Kanter
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_______________________________
Jodi L Kanter
BioInformatics Database Administrator
University of Virginia
(434) 924-2846
jkanter@virginia.edu

Hilary Forbes
The DMR Information and Technology Group (www.dmr.co.uk)
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