Moving Beyond MySQL - High End Database Solutions

Postgre SQL

Postgre brings some unique features to the world of SQL databases. It allows the developer to create relational objects to base the database on. These objects allow for inheritance, which, alone, is a fairly advanced feature in a database server. Postgre also includes other features that MySQL lacks.

These include triggers, stored procedures and atomic updates. Postgre is based on code developed by the University of Berkeley in California, and is distributed under the GNU Public License. PostGre SQL is distributed free of charge under the GPL license. The server runs on Linux or Unix machines without modifications, and the clients will also run on Windows without modification.

Postgre continues to gain acceptance on the Internet development front. This is because it offers so many of the features provided by other, more expensive solutions, but is still easy to use, and was released under the GNU Public License. This gives you a lot of power for little or no cost. Many sites and companies have migrated to Postgre because of the limitations imposed by MySQL, and the high cost of systems produced by the more established providers.

Postgre SQL is the only open source database server that supports procedural language constructs like stored procedures and triggers. It uses a language called PL/pgSQL for these commands. PL/pgSQL is formatted and structured like the PL/SQL code used in Oracle's database server. I'm sure that this is no mistake - and it presents a developer with a good upgrade path involving minimal conversion efforts if you outgrow Postgre.

One thing I really like about Postgre is its level of documentation, which is similar to that often found with the more commercial servers. Each different function, i.e. programmer or developer, is available in a separate Adobe Acrobat file, which makes the location of functions easier.

Overall, if you need an open source solution and you've outgrown MySQL, you should look at Postgre as an alternative. It provides the features needed for a small enterprise solution, a stable engine, and active development.

Website
http://www.postgresql.org/