Database experiences in Python: Good or Bad?

[David Rushby]

Rhymes <raims at dot.com> wrote in message news:<csk1lu038rs7rjtuur2inb4q9b5d51c7iq at 4ax.com>...
> KinterbaseDA is stable enough on W2K? (The maintainer say not...) and
> ZFirebirdDA doesn't release any file...

  The authors of kinterbasdbDA and I spent quite a bit of time
exploring the Windows 2000-specific problem, and eventually concluded
that it arose from a quirk of compiler configuration, or service pack,
or Python distribution on my machine, plus an apparent disagreement
between Zope and (my version of) msvcrt.dll, rather than a bug in
kinterbasdb.  That outcome was frustrating, in that I learned I'd been
chasing a nonexistent goose.

  The good news is that the problem has been overcome, and they've
released a new version of kinterbasdbDA (
http://www.zope.org/Members/mwoj ) that functions well on Windows 2000
(other platforms were never affected).

[Rushby wrote:]
> >  Here's a good overview of Firebird:
> >http://www.ibphoenix.com/ibp_act_db.html
> >
> >  Firebird is undoubtedly better than MySQL, except perhaps with
> >regard to speed.
[Rhymes wrote:]
> I think Firebird (I used Interbase for a while) is better than MySQL
> because the latter doesn't support all the features of a real
> RDMBS...do you agree with me?

  I do agree with you, although deeming Firebird "better" than MySQL
is only valid if you *want* a real RDBMS, rather than... uh... a very
limited one that happens to be fast and inexplicably popular.

  Now, I'm not an elitist.  Firebird isn't perfect, but it suits my
purposes far better than MySQL.  Firebird also suits my purposes
better than PostgreSQL or SAPDB, actually, though I wouldn't claim
that Firebird is "better" than either of those two.