Re: Database decision

Hello Alexander, On 17-Jul-00 08:36:09, you wrote: >The project I have is an article based system. Many relational >cross-references for using articles in different online projects. >Well, I need a decision now for what I system I should use. >I guess a cannot afford the 5000$ for an Orcale, but if you say that >this would be the one and only choice ... That is the doubt of many Web developers. Which database to use? If you don't know what do you want now, maybe you would like to use a database abstraction package that assures that your current database programming doesn't have to be redone later when you decide that you prefer some other database because your initial choice is too limited for your project. In that case you may want to use Metabase. This is a PHP database abstraction package that supports several databases and will support even more. Its goal is precisely to support portable database programming in PHP. Among many other features Metabase provide a basic set of datatypes (text, integers, floating and fixed point numbers, date and times, boolean) and assures that the data that goes between your application and the database server is represented in the same way even if your current database represents the equivalent data type in a different way. For instance, for your application dates are always represented in the ISO 9601 format (YYYY-MM-DD). If necessary, the Metabase driver database of choice converts the data from and to the server if the database equivalent native format is not ISO 9601. In terms of portability this is more than you can say about other database abstraction packages like Perl DBI and alikes that simply assumes that all data types can be handled as strings but you still have to handle on your application any differences in the native data types representation format, therefore ending up with non-portable application that you may still have to work out if you decide to change you database server. There are many other nice portability feature in Metabase and you may learn all about them for free here: http://phpclasses.UpperDesign.com/browse.html/package/20 Regards, Manuel Lemos Web Programming Components using PHP Classes. Look at: http://phpclasses.UpperDesign.com/?user=mlemos@acm.org -- E-mail: mlemos@acm.org URL: http://www.mlemos.e-na.net/ PGP key: http://www.mlemos.e-na.net/ManuelLemos.pgp --