Hi, you could also see this compare table at bostongis.com (the site is offline but we have google cache :P)
http://www.google.com.br/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CA0QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostongis.com%2FPrinterFriendly.aspx%3Fcontent_name%3Dsqlserver2008_postgis_mysql_compare&ei=w3YOS7OAONKztgfQsvHqCg&usg=AFQjCNGieeag5GB-1wlnru62yyb68VJzNw []'s Luigi Castro Cardeles 2009/11/26 Simon Greener <si...@spatialdbadvisor.com> > Paul, > > (This is NOT a flame!) > > > Oracle's wonderfully featureful, but if you're not already an Oracle >> shop, you'd be foolish to bring it in. It's difficult to learn and >> administer, which is why "Oracle DBA" is such a great job title to >> hold (job security!) >> > > Still peddling this old canard, Paul, that Oracle is "difficult to learn > and administer"?! > It has never been difficult to learn (I've been teaching basic SQL since > 1988 to non-technical people): > no more than any other database. It might have been difficult to administer > in the past but it is far easier nowadays. Anyway, > its instrumentation and configurability is one of the reasons it is a great > and very fast database.... > > > SQL Server is more lightweight, but it naturally ties you into the >> Windows platform, if you want to deploy on some other operating >> system... tough. Many administrators love it, some hate it. The >> spatial support is also pretty new, which means support for it is >> still building. However, it is Microsoft, so it'll only get stronger >> over time. >> > > A reasonable summary. > > > PostGIS is easy to install and easy to use, it has a clear simple >> syntax, it's been around a long time, is stable and very fast. >> > > Now you go and compare apples with oranges. Above you have a go at Oracle > being "difficult" > (like ESRItes say Spatial is slow - but forget to tell you the slowest > client against Oracle Spatial > is ArcSDE. Compare ArcSDE+ArcGIS render time against GeoServer or MapServer > and you'll > see what I mean), but you don't talk about Oracle Spatial you talk about > Oracle. > > You reference Spatial when talking about SQL Server (a fraction of the > functionality of the database) but > your criticisms are mainly about it (the host database) being on one > platform etc etc. > > Yes PostGIS is "easy to install" but Oracle Spatial is even easier: you > don't have to as it comes with > the database! There are no issues about putting the Oracle Spatial code in > another schema (cf the emails > on this forum) - it just "works". Doesn't get easier than that! > > With regards spatial the functionality of the basic type in PostGIS is far > superior to anything else on the market. > Critical analytical functionality like ST_Union cannot be matched and are > excellent. Oracle has other SPatial > APIs other than just the basic type but the number of people who use them > is low because of licensing issues. > Yes, PostGIS has related projects that compare to these but most of these > projects are not yet in full production (ie verion 1.0 or above). > > But if we talk about PostgreSQL the database, yes it is easy to install, > but I would argue that it more difficult to > learn than Oracle because of its quirky post-Relational extensions which > (for simple people like me) > is exposed in weird SQL quirks that I find frankly, crazy. Something > trivial in Oracle can be bloody hard > in PostgreSQL. Anyway, Oracle has better, more mature functionality (ie > existed before PostgreSQL 8.4!) in many areas > that I take for granted in crafting solutions eg hierarchical queries, > materialized views, full analytic SQL etc. > > I am still learning how to get the best out of PostgreSQL. I like it a lot > but that learning process will last a long time. > And that learning (same with SQL Server) is not about the spatial stuff - > it is trivial - it is about learning and > mastering the whole database (eg explain plan and performance analysis). > If you are not interested in doing this > then just grab any database your GIS can connect to and treat it like a > bit-bucket: PostgreSQL is probably best for this. > > Just my 2c worth. > > regards > Simon > > > > On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 4:15 PM, Bruce Foster <gis.fos...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> a. Read somewhere on Topology. Hope someone throw more light on this. >>> >> >> Some basic topology support, but nothing to write home about, and more >> importantly there are no client tools that support it. Topology is a >> sexy slow dance between the underlying data model and the user-facing >> application that exposes the model, and the difficult part is on the >> user-facing side. This is why ESRI's topology stuff remains >> more-or-less the only stuff in use -- because they nailed the >> user-facing side. >> >> b. Versioning, which is not available in Postgres >>> >> >> You can build versioned tables easily enough with some simple rules >> and triggers. Again, the question is what user-facing application you >> are planning to use and what your use case is going to be. >> >> On a related note, can we edit directly on PostGIS using MapInfo, >>> >> >> Yes >> >> ArcGIS Desktop, >>> >> >> Yes, with zigGIS. Yes also with ArcGIS Server underneath, but ... ouch. >> >> AutoCad Map3D etc. >>> >> >> Yes'ish, the FDO support for PostGIS is still limited and apparently >> this is finicky at best. >> >> uDIG, QGIS allow direct connectivity to PostGIS, hope they allow >>> direct file editing too. >>> >> >> Yes, they do. As does gvSIG, and I think MapWindow. >> >> Also web-based tricks, like WFS editing through openlayers and >> geoserver. Or through openlayers and featureserver. Or through geoext >> and mapfish. >> >> Best, >> >> Paul >> >> >> >> >>> -- >>> Thanks >>> >>> Bruce >>> NSW Australia >>> _______________________________________________ >>> postgis-users mailing list >>> postgis-users@postgis.refractions.net >>> http://postgis.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/postgis-users >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >> postgis-users mailing list >> postgis-users@postgis.refractions.net >> http://postgis.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/postgis-users >> >> > > -- > SpatialDB Advice and Design, Solutions Architecture and Programming, > Oracle Database 10g Administrator Certified Associate; Oracle Database 10g > SQL Certified Professional > Oracle Spatial, SQL Server, PostGIS, MySQL, ArcSDE, Manifold GIS, FME, > Radius Topology and Studio Specialist. > 39 Cliff View Drive, Allens Rivulet, 7150, Tasmania, Australia. > Website: www.spatialdbadvisor.com > Email: si...@spatialdbadvisor.com > Voice: +61 362 396397 > Mobile: +61 418 396391 > Skype: sggreener > Longitude: 147.20515 (147° 12' 18" E) > Latitude: -43.01530 (43° 00' 55" S) > GeoHash: r22em9r98wg > NAC:W80CK 7SWP3 > > _______________________________________________ > postgis-users mailing list > postgis-users@postgis.refractions.net > http://postgis.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/postgis-users >
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