3 ms·

Ask HN : Use MySQL as a non-relational database

21 points by dan_sim 17y ago

I'm searching for anything that could help me using MySQL (or SqlLite) as if it was a non-relational database (like couchDB) in ruby. Is such a thing exists?

shiranaihito 17y ago
Shouldn't you rather use a real non-relational database if that's what you need?
- dan_sim 17y ago
  I knew someone would say that but I'm not ready to install a RDBMS on a production environment yet. Besides that, I'm also just curious if someone did it.
mbrubeck 17y ago
It's in Python rather than Ruby, but Infogami's ThingDB and its successor Infobase are distributed key-value stores built on top of PostgreSQL: http://pharos.infogami.com/tdb http://pharos.infogami.com/tdb http://openlibrary.org/about/tech http://openlibrary.org/about/tech http://infogami.org/src/ http://infogami.org/src/
mdragon 17y ago
Python not ruby, but the language on top is a minimal piece in their setup: http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql
garcara 17y ago
http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql This is a really good article that can get you started with this idea. You would have to develop your own solution but a lot of good ideas here.
- dan_sim 17y ago
  Thanks! I was searching for that post and I didn't remember where it was.
- brown9 17y ago
  very interesting article, thanks
adatta02 17y ago
If you are talking about using MySQL like memcache (so persistence isn't an issue) check out MYISAM MEMORY tables - http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/memory-storage-engine.html http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/memory-storage-engine... Super fast but if the server dies so does all your data...
iamelgringo 17y ago
Are you looking for something like Berkeley DB? It's essentially a persistent key/value store. You don't have sql, but you do have ACID compliant features. Summery of a programmer's usage here: http://simonwillison.net/2003/Nov/26/discoveringBerkeleyDB/ http://simonwillison.net/2003/Nov/26/discoveringBerkeleyDB/ Some Docs here: http://pybsddb.sourceforge.net/reftoc.html http://pybsddb.sourceforge.net/reftoc.html

21 points by dan_sim 17y ago

I'm searching for anything that could help me using MySQL (or SqlLite) as if it was a non-relational database (like couchDB) in ruby. Is such a thing exists?

shiranaihito 17y ago

Shouldn't you rather use a real non-relational database if that's what you need?

dan_sim 17y ago
I knew someone would say that but I'm not ready to install a RDBMS on a production environment yet. Besides that, I'm also just curious if someone did it.

mbrubeck 17y ago

It's in Python rather than Ruby, but Infogami's ThingDB and its successor Infobase are distributed key-value stores built on top of PostgreSQL: http://pharos.infogami.com/tdb http://pharos.infogami.com/tdb http://openlibrary.org/about/tech http://openlibrary.org/about/tech http://infogami.org/src/ http://infogami.org/src/

mdragon 17y ago

Python not ruby, but the language on top is a minimal piece in their setup: http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql

garcara 17y ago

http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql http://bret.appspot.com/entry/how-friendfeed-uses-mysql This is a really good article that can get you started with this idea. You would have to develop your own solution but a lot of good ideas here.

dan_sim 17y ago
Thanks! I was searching for that post and I didn't remember where it was.
brown9 17y ago
very interesting article, thanks

adatta02 17y ago

If you are talking about using MySQL like memcache (so persistence isn't an issue) check out MYISAM MEMORY tables - http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/memory-storage-engine.html http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/memory-storage-engine... Super fast but if the server dies so does all your data...

iamelgringo 17y ago

Are you looking for something like Berkeley DB? It's essentially a persistent key/value store. You don't have sql, but you do have ACID compliant features. Summery of a programmer's usage here: http://simonwillison.net/2003/Nov/26/discoveringBerkeleyDB/ http://simonwillison.net/2003/Nov/26/discoveringBerkeleyDB/ Some Docs here: http://pybsddb.sourceforge.net/reftoc.html http://pybsddb.sourceforge.net/reftoc.html