You can do table locking with MySQL, but not transactions.
The simplest reason is speed. MySQL will set your hair on fire if you're
not careful. I would easily put it up against Oracle (but I don't know
that I would back it too heavily). Throw in transactions and you loose
that speed.
It's great for web stuff, is my simplest answer. Probably not great for
what you want, though.
Cheers,
Travis
To: "Graeme Merrall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
cc: (bcc: Travis Simon/Australia/IDG)
Subject: Re: [SLUG] MySQL transactions (was MySQL book ToC)
At 07:51 AM 9/02/2000 +1100, Graeme Merrall wrote:
>Had a couple requests to post the ToC for 'MySQL' by Paul Dubois
ISBN:0735709211
>(http://www1.fatbrain.com/asp/bookinfo/bookinfo.asp?theisbn=0735709211)
>
>Introduction
>- Why choose MySQL
Is it true that MySQL does not support transactions ?
If so then what earthly use is it ? (other than mainly readonly stuff)
How would MySQL support say a cash transfer from one account to another
account,
and guarantee no half-done transaction if the h/w, o/s, power crashes ?
I've read about MySQL in linux journal & on the MySQL website,
and its benchmarks are great, and it sounded better than PostGresSQL,
UNTIL I saw "MySQL does not support transactions".
IMHO if it does not support transactions, it is NOT a database.
I have several times implemented a collection of indexed files,
in various languages & o/s's, but that is NOT a database,
unless it also supports transaction logging, transaction backout
(rollback),
and transaction integrity i.e. the application level can define an
indivisible
unit of work which is either done or not done in its entirety,
(or at least appears that way to other tasks),
which may comprise multiple adds/updates/deletes.
(I've also implemented that once, in COBOL !!!)
Not wanting to start a flame war, I am genuinely mystified, as
in my understanding transactions is the essential feature
which sets real databases (Oracle, Progress, Sybase, PostgreSQL, etc)
apart from "a collection of indexed files".
In business databases, a simple transfer between 2 accounts is typically :
begin transaction
add rec acct1 with -amount and new balance
add rec acct2 with +amount and new balance
end transaction
How would this be done in MySQL without transaction support ?
Note that real world transactions are usually more complex, involving
simultaneous
movements of money, commissions, royalties, shares, notifications, alerts,
incrementing of sequence numbers, record locking, not to mention issues
of reports reading the records while they're being created/modified etc
etc.
No flames please, I'm not anti-MySQL, just trying to make the best choice
between MySQL vs PostgresSQL for a project. MySQL has better performance,
but if it's at the expense of transaction integrity, there's no contest.
TIA,
Brian
----------------------------------------------
Brian Martin, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Future Software Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia.
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