Kapil said:
looks like it will instantly become the most advanced open source database
out there. my current rankings of the general os rdbms in terms of features postgresql->interbase->mysql
Keep in mind that (even though) it is an effective "general os rdbms", PostgreSQL was originally developed as an experimantal platform for testing concepts in the Object-Relational database realm. As such, it has some unique potential, especially in its ability to define and store Objects as _native_data_types_. Most of the effort and press related to PostgreSQL in the recent past has focused on adding SQL in place PostgreSQL's QEL, and improving stability and performance. Now that most of this important work has been accomplished, my hope is that some of the truly differentiating features can be showcased, e.g. a Zope Storage where an external SQL engine can directly interact with objects as native data. Imagine a SQL statement that updates every instance of a ZClass with new properties, or slipping a super-class in underneath (re-parenting), where it had never been before. also:
the feature list of this database is astonishing www.sapdb.org
to name a few subtransactions outer joins sql 92 compliant, possible modes for db2, oracle 7 very nice prodecural sql language. lots of statistics information really rich set of standard functions scrollable cursors
this is a great candidate for a zodb storage
SAP DB is a fully licensed version of Software AG's (SAG) Adabas D, a descendant of SAG's venerable mainframe class system, Adabas C. Yes, SQL is fully supported, but SQL is after all a query language, not a physical model of the internal structure of an rdbms. This is not to say that Adabas, in any form, is any less of a capable system. Don't be surprised, however, to find something much closer to a network database under the surface, compared to PostgreSQL, which is about two generations newer, according to its "birth date" (1988?). Interestingly, many folks who have been around for several "database revolutions" see the network model as a very good choice for storage of "non-tabular" data types, such as objects, etc. On the other hand, that may be the result of lack of familiarity with the possibilities inherent in a true Object-Relational data model. Later, Jerry S.