6 ms·

MySQL is the PHP of databases (speaking as a PHP contributor). It's awful in the same kinds of ways.

mamon 11y ago
MySQL does not deserve to be called a database at all - as the article describes, it does not implement basic database features correctly.
- hughperkins 11y ago
  I think it's fairer to say that: it doesnt necessarily implement them in a standards-compliant way. Which I dont mean to imply it implements everything, in a non-standard way, it's missing a bunch of stuff. But it does have a lot of standard database features, like transactions and so on, but a lot of stuff is ... odd. for example, 'row_number()' is missing. You have to use session variables.
  - mamon 11y ago
    "Non-standards-compliant way" is the long-time default engine, MyISAM not supporting transactions and locking. Fortunately they moved to InnoDB as default recently, but the very fact that it took them so long tells much about their attitude towards DB standards compliance.
- onion2k 11y ago
  it does not implement basic database features correctly For 99% of use cases that doesn't really matter though. Google, Facebook, Github, etc all started out using MySQL to drive the data behind their services. Some of them still do. Yes, you have to work around the problems, but it's still a very powerful piece of technology.
executesorder66 11y ago
What is your opinion of MariaDB?
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
  I don't know a lot about it, but AIUI it's mostly a fork of MySQL with more features, rather than a fundamental improvement. MySQL's problem isn't that it's owned by Oracle.
- leesalminen 11y ago
  I switched from MySQL to MariaDB ~2 years ago and have been quite pleased. A little while back, I needed to use a REGEX_REPLACE() function. I knew MySQL didn't have it built-in, and didn't want to build any half assed userland function for it. I held my breath and looked it up in MariaDB docs, and there it was! Made my morning. It's the little things that made me happy to switch. Also, my understanding is that InnoDB has some performance gains.

mamon 11y ago

MySQL does not deserve to be called a database at all - as the article describes, it does not implement basic database features correctly.

hughperkins 11y ago
I think it's fairer to say that: it doesnt necessarily implement them in a standards-compliant way. Which I dont mean to imply it implements everything, in a non-standard way, it's missing a bunch of stuff. But it does have a lot of standard database features, like transactions and so on, but a lot of stuff is ... odd. for example, 'row_number()' is missing. You have to use session variables.
- mamon 11y ago
  "Non-standards-compliant way" is the long-time default engine, MyISAM not supporting transactions and locking. Fortunately they moved to InnoDB as default recently, but the very fact that it took them so long tells much about their attitude towards DB standards compliance.
onion2k 11y ago
it does not implement basic database features correctly For 99% of use cases that doesn't really matter though. Google, Facebook, Github, etc all started out using MySQL to drive the data behind their services. Some of them still do. Yes, you have to work around the problems, but it's still a very powerful piece of technology.

executesorder66 11y ago

What is your opinion of MariaDB?

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
I don't know a lot about it, but AIUI it's mostly a fork of MySQL with more features, rather than a fundamental improvement. MySQL's problem isn't that it's owned by Oracle.
leesalminen 11y ago
I switched from MySQL to MariaDB ~2 years ago and have been quite pleased. A little while back, I needed to use a REGEX_REPLACE() function. I knew MySQL didn't have it built-in, and didn't want to build any half assed userland function for it. I held my breath and looked it up in MariaDB docs, and there it was! Made my morning. It's the little things that made me happy to switch. Also, my understanding is that InnoDB has some performance gains.