BLOB issue(s) & questions

one last attempt:

I am working with a window-manufacturing firm (the real thing!).  One of
the reasons we are about to choose one of the vertical-market
applications is that they claim ODBC compliance, and "Using other ODBC
compliant database engines should not present a problem but may require
some additional testing..."  This is in stark contrast to all the other
vendors who require MSSQL on the back end (or an AS400), and the usual
windoziness about why you'd want to do anything else.

When I asked about using PostgreSQL this is the reply I received:

> I discussed PostureSQL with Paul and his technical director sent me
> the following comment:
>
> PostgreSQL is open source and so far they have not agreed on a blob
> field properly we use blob fields for the item bitmap, old
> conservatory data and meta files for graphics. An ODBC driver is
> available and describes how to fudge a blob field but it says that it
> does not clean them up properly when updating. I suggest moving to
> MySQL which is also open source ??
>
> They estimate about one week additional time to make necessary changes
> and to test for MySQL.  Let me know what you think.
>
These folks develop using MSAccess and MSSQL.

Can anyone shed any light on how serious this problem is, what the
problem actually might be, and whether it is ever likely to be resolved
so that I could use PostgreSQL?

One suggestion from the general list was as follows

> I wonder if they've got confused about the 2 ways in PostgreSQL can
> store blobs. There is the older Large Object method and there is the
> newer bytea data type. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
> http://www.varlena.com/varlena/GeneralBits/44.php could help them
> understand which to use. Or they could ask on this list.
>
> Perhaps you should also ask them them to comment on
> http://sql-info.de/mysql.


TIA!

PS - the vertical market software is Caliburn v8 at
http://www.caliburn-software.com/

--
Derek Shaw
BIS Business Information Systems Inc.
Victoria, BC.
voice: 250-885-2021 fax: 250-386-4060
PGP Public Key ID: 0xD3783198