[Tutor] Postgresql+Python -tutorial?

[Bill Campbell]

On Sat, Feb 11, 2006, Joal Heagney wrote:
>Alan G wrote:
>>> I've been using MySQL up this day, but would like to convert 
>>> my program to use Postgresql. 
>> 
>> I'm curious. Why?
>> Is there some advantage to Postgres over MySql?
>
>Yes and no. Postgresql offers more features and is IMO more flexible 
>than most SQL servers out there.
>
...
>However, MySQL is used a lot in web pages because it can return queries 
>much faster than any other database - the catch is that it can only do 
>this with transaction-less tables.
...
>(MySQL can use transactions, however, you immediately lose the speed 
>advantage.)

Postgresql is a far more mature product than mysql when it comes to the
critical ACID features, transactions, stored procedures, and triggers.
Postgresql is also far more compliant with SQL standards.

As I understand it, mysql's transaction capabilities are only available
when it's built with the innodb back end storage.  Mysql and innodb
licensing isn't GPL, and the company that provides innodb has recently been
purchased by a commercial databae vendor (I don't remeber which one
offhand).  The licensing issues with mysql make me very leary of doing
anything commercial with it.

There is also the python sqlobject system which provides a very object
oriented wrapper on top of relational databases.  Using sqlobject can make
many database functions very easy, and largely independent of the
underlying database.

Bill
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