[Python-Dev] New bugtracker project - Relational backend?

[Kevin Jacobs]

On Wed, 22 May 2002, Guido van Rossum wrote:
> [David]
> > For one thing, it was basically impossible for people with only a
> > peripheral view of the database (managers, QA folks) to get accurate
> > pictures of the database.  Nothing that can't be fixed if one has a
> > real DB backend.
> 
> Speaking of which, how real is RoundUp's DB backend?  Does it use
> MySQL?  *Could* it use MySQL?  *Should* it use MySQL?  When this idea
> first came up, Andy Robinson asserted that it should, basically for
> the reason that David states above; I'm neutral but I certainly see
> the advantage of being able to run SQL(-ish) queries against the
> database (this helps for the SF tracker too).

My 2e-10 cents:

NOTE: This is NOT a troll.  YMMV, and all that.

Relational backends are nice, especially when creating applications that
benefit from having extensible reporting.  However, from my experience, I
would _not_ recommend MySQL for the following reasons:

  1) Immature and flakey support for ACID transactions.
  2) Relatively non-standards complaint SQL, though it does have lots
     of nifty extentions.  However, for me, the advantages of being able to
     write fairly portable SQL92 queries far out-weighs what is gained by
     all of the syntactic sugar.
  3) Does not scale well for many simultaneous readers and writers.

Here are my recommendations for suitable open source relational backends
with strong Python support (in no particular order, I use all three
regularly):

  1) PostgreSQL
  2) Firebird
  3) SAPdb

The nice thing about all three is that they are have very good support for
transactions, work hard to be SQL92 compliant, and typically scale well
under demanding workloads.  Porting between them is also fairly easy.

Also looking forward to having a better bug-tracker than Bugzilla,
-Kevin

PS: One more thing to add to the Roundup wish list (if it isn't already
    there): Pervasive use of stylesheets for display-formatting content.
    The days of embedding such information inline are long since over.

--
Kevin Jacobs
The OPAL Group - Enterprise Systems Architect
Voice: (216) 986-0710 x 19         E-mail: jacobs@theopalgroup.com
Fax:   (216) 986-0714              WWW:    http://www.theopalgroup.com