Re: PostgreSQL vs. MySQL vs. Oracle, 2005 report card

Tom Lane wrote:
 > Scott Marlowe <smarlowe@g2switchworks.com> writes:
 >>On Wed, 2005-02-16 at 11:13, Ron Mayer wrote:
 >>
 >>>Fermilab did have contact information ("mail comments to:") at the
 >...
 > Right.  The question is whether we can get them to update it.


I think so... as mentioned earlier in the thread, they did update
some of the answers saying "postgresql version 8 has this" already.

I just sent them an email with links to the postgresql docs for
each of the answers I know have been already addressed.
The email I sent them is attached below.  Feel free to send them
corrections to my corrections. :)



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Your database comparison page
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 14:35:02 -0800
From: Ron Mayer [XXX]
To: css-dsg@fnal.gov


On your database comparison page here:
  http://www-css.fnal.gov/dsg/external/freeware/mysql-vs-pgsql.html
where you write "Mail comments to:css-dsg@fnal.gov"


I think there are a few new updates in postgresql that you
might not have been aware of...



  * Partial rollback of transaction:
    ...
    Oracle8: Rollback to savepoint.
    PostgreSQL:No.

    Savepoints and Rollback to Savepoint have been added
    to postgresql in version 8.
    http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-savepoint.html

  *  Incremental and on-line backups:
     ...
     Oracle8: Yes.
     PostgreSQL: No.

     Postgresql now supports a form of on-line backups by
     archiving it's logs that contain only incremental changes
     from the last full backup.
     http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/backup-online.html

  *  Access to multiple databases in one session:
     ....
     Oracle8: Each session can use data from many instances, using
     transparent distributed SQL access.
     PostgreSQL: Only switching between databases. No support
     for selecting data from different databases.


     The option "dblink" module provides a mechanism for
     making a query that spans databases in a single session.
     An example is hidden in here.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/queries-table-expressions.html
     It's not as transparent as Oracle's, but it's quite
     useful in some cases.   Note that it can even link
     to Microsoft SQL databases, and (i think) oracle.


  *  Subqueries in SQL query:
     ...
     PostgreSQL:Sql compliance with Oracle.

     Actually, I think PostgreSQL deviates from Oracle in places
     where Oracle deviates from the SQL spec; so PostgreSQL
     follows DB2 (and the SQL standard)'s way of handling
     subqueries instead.  An example, is that Oracle
     doesn't like "AS ..." after a subquery.