[DB-SIG] annotated 1.1 spec / feedback

M.-A. Lemburg mal@lemburg.com
Tue, 16 Mar 1999 18:24:18 +0100


James Northrup wrote:
> 
> > I don't think we can convince Guido of adding mxDateTime to the
> > Python core. Still, installing that package is not any more
> > difficult than installing a typcial database interface. I don't
> > see a point in omitting useful software that is readily available
> > just because it does not belong to the language core.
> 
> I'm coming from a production support angle here.  I have non-hacker people asking me why I'm using each and every package and why they are paying for it.  They
> want to know who to turn to when undocumented features appear, and where they can find fixes.  They want to be content with the knowldge that a veteran
> architect-developer can work within guidelines that a novice maintenance-developer can easily grasp and take over.

As I already pointed out in my reply to Greg, mxDateTime is not
an requirement, it's only a readily useable plugin for the
DB API date/time specification part.

You can use any implementation you like as long as you provide
the defined constructor APIs.

As for support, I'm offering commercial support for all mx* modules
via the PythonPros. BTW: they also provide support for all other
parts of the standard Python distribution as well as Mark Hammond's
Win32 components.

> When I roll a product into production I want to be able to acheive the following recomendation (in the hopefully near future):
> 
> "Python 1.x.x base distribution includes a core DBMS api that supports plugin adapters and drivers for the following platforms: ... "
> 
> Perhaps I am on a different mission than the general consensus here, but presently as I roll an application into production (and potentially never alter it again)
> I must justify and include the following support information :
> 
> Base Python (build instructions, deployment instructions)
> <Northrup's middle dbms layer> (operational specifications, diagnostic procedures, pager number)
> MySQLModule (where to find it, which version, build instructions, deployment instructions, support?)
> DCOracle (where to find it, which version, build instructions, deployment instructions, support?)
> <Northrup's custom application modules> (operational specifications, diagnostic procedures, pager number)

Hmm. We could try getting the DB API specification into the standard
docs for Python. That would add a little more "official" flavor to
our work.

--
Marc-Andre Lemburg                               Y2000: 290 days left
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