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MySQL inadequecies

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This guy seriously hates MySQL:

Considering MySQL? Use something else. Already on MySQL? Migrate. For every successful project built on MySQL, you could uncover a history of time wasted mitigating MySQL’s inadequacies.

Thesis: databases fill roles ranging from pure storage to complex and interesting data processing; MySQL is differently bad at both tasks. Real apps all fall somewhere between these poles, and suffer variably from both sets of MySQL flaws.

What follows is a 5300 word treatise on the inadequacies, weird design choices, and tradeoffs that MySQL has. You’re really got to have a lot of hate to spend time writing that detailed of an analysis of something.

For those that actually use MySQL, the post serves as a great summary of things you need to be aware of. Not every tool is appropriate for every job, and every database server has some sort of deficiency, so knowing what you’re in for before you start is helpful.

Nikolaas
August 28, 2013 11:36 AM

MySQL is ok (note I didn't say great or even good), and definitely has/has had its problems. But if all you need is a basic client/server SQL provider (and don't care about lightning speed, scalability, [insert complex/non-portable usage here]), it can do the job.. which in many personal environments is all one needs. The ironic thing is that article implied using SQLite as an alternative.. yet some of his arguments against MySQL could be equally applied to SQLite. And for the record.. when given a choice, I use PostgreSQL instead of MySQL. But that, like all SQL databases, has its problems too (i.e. using Oracle [the database] is always a hate, love, hate relationship).

This discussion has been closed.

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