From: Martijn Tonies
Date: October 28 2003 4:53pm
Subject: Re: Is MySQL Relational? (was: Foreigner keys in MySQL?)
List-Archive: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/152623
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Hi,

> >> If you are trying to determine whether MySQL is a relational database,
> >> the answer is yes.
> >
> >Ehm... the answer is "no".
> >
> >It's getting better, that's for sure.
>
> MySQL may or may not conform to some standard or another, and it may
> or may not perform the tasks that you, personally, want it to, but
> in fact it *is* a relational database, as opposed to a flat file or
> an object database.

First of all ... "Relational Database Engine" - not relational database. :-)
(this may sound like nitpicking to you, but a database is NOT a database
engine)

> I recommended the questioner evaluate her needs against MySQL's
> available feature set, because if you are used to Oracle (or some
> other robust, commercial relational database) you may be surprised
> at some of the differences or absences in MySQL.

You are very right here. I for sure wouldn't buy Oracle if I wouldn't
need it and MySQL is capable of lots of things - no doubt there.

> But the questioner made it seem as though she was really just
> trying to get a feel for the basics scope of MySQL, and in that
> context, yes, MySQL is designed to a implement a relational
> database model as opposed to some other fundamental type of
> database.
>
> So, what's your laundry list of things MySQL should do?

To become at least a bit relational, a database engine should be
able to enforce integrity. Now, MySQL - by itself - cannot do
that. Yes, InnoDB can do referential integrity - that's a good start,
albeit not enough.

Check constraints, anyone?

Domains, anyone?

Views and updateable views?

And WHY do we have to care about table-types? Isn't this
a physical thingy?

And there's probably more - some of which I don't understand...

As said before - MySQL is very suited for lots and lots of types
of applications and is improving a lot. Heck, that's the reason why
I will be supporting MySQL in Database Workbench :-)

Oh, and John, "SearchDatabase" or "Google" isn't always right :-)
http://searchdatabase.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid13_gci212885,00.html
(actually, the SearchDatabase site has a lot of wrong stuff - XML? :-)


With regards,

Martijn Tonies
Database Workbench - developer tool for InterBase, Firebird & MS SQL Server.
Upscene Productions
http://www.upscene.com