[PLUG] MySQL -> PostgreSQL migration

[Jeme A Brelin]

On Sun, 18 Jan 2004, Jeme A Brelin wrote:
> Can someone point me to a primer that might tell me how to move an
> application from MySQL to Postgres?
[snip]
> Anyway, I'm hoping to convert a fairly major application for the benefit
> of all, so any help y'all could give me would help everyone.

After a night's research, I think I've come to believe that the
application SHOULDN'T just be moved to PostgreSQL.  Most of the things
done on the front-end of the application are more appropriately handled as
database functions.

Basically, moving to a higher-functioning database would give you none of
the benefits of having a higher-functioning database system and all the
negative impact of a bloated, front-heavy application.

With a bit of research, I'm pretty well sold on these ideas of views,
triggers, aggregates, and co. and will move to a more robust system.

As I see it, you can make the database itself so robust that the front-end
doesn't do much work at all except put a pretty face on the database.
Putting the logic in the front-end doesn't make sense because it limits
the number of ways you can access your data.

Forgive me if this is extremely obvious to everyone else, but it's
something that just didn't seem to come up in all the MySQL v. PostgreSQL
discussion.  (Right now, the ONLY thing I prefer about MySQL is the
license.)

So I'm a little bit stuck.  I like ARIAS because it seems to have
everything I want in terms of an external feature set (inventory, ledger,
payroll, etc.) but it's all in PHP when much of what is done could be in
the database itself (and, therefore, easier to update with another
front-end, should I choose that route).

SQL-Ledger seems to put the database in the appropriate relationship to
the application, but doesn't support payroll and doesn't have some of the
nicer interface features of ARIAS.  I'm sure you're all (well, those few
who are actually reading my ramblings) thinking that I should just add the
interface bits myself, but, to be perfectly honest, web interface
development is one of my least favorite things to do.

I don't mean to just blog at you guys... but if anybody really likes their
accounting/inventory system, I'd like to know about it.

J.
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     Jeme A Brelin
    jeme at brelin.net
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