RE: LINUX is the "one" ? .... Comments???

[James Rich <james@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 2 Apr 2003, Joe Pluta wrote:

> > Yes, assuming the C and C++ code that MYSQL is written in is portable
> > enough to compile and run under OS/400.  MySQL creates standard stream
> > files for it's tables and indexes.  These stream can exist anywhere.
>
> Why would you do this?  MySQL is commercial and proprietary.  The only
> reason to add SQL support is to make the box more open.  You're proposing
> adding a proprietary, third-party, for-fee product in order to access OS/400
> data.  Not a good move.

As already stated in a previous email, mysql is not commercial and
proprietary.  But so what if it was?  So is OS/400.  So is a lot of the
software people buy to access their data.  Commercial and proprietary
alone do not make my points invalid (those points being that mysql "has
some very nice features which would be great to have onthe iSeries.  Like
a great API.  And an AUTOINCREMENT feature which while non-standard,
provides a great method to uniquely key records which just need an
ascending number as the key."  Your argument is that adding a proprietary,
third-party, for-fee product in order to access OS/400 data is not a good
move.  I think most developers here would disagree with that since they
write proprietary, third-party, for-fee products that access OS/400 data.

> > And btw, MySQL has some very nice features which would be great to have on
> > the iSeries.  Like a great API.  And an AUTOINCREMENT feature which while
> > non-standard, provides a great method to uniquely key records which just
> > need an ascending number as the key.
>
> And not only that, you want to add a NON-STANDARD API.

AUTOINCREMENT is a non-standard feature, not an API.  And I just found out
that DB2/400 also has AUTOINCREMENT (that's what I've heard just now but I
haven't been able to verify it).  So kudos to DB2/400 for implementing it.
But the API is what I think makes mysql particularly attractive.  The API
is not the INSERT statement, but the way the program interacts with the
SQL engine.  It is my opinion that the current way to use SQL in RPG (i.e.
embedded SQL) is clunky, inflexible, poorly designed, burdensome, and
feature-poor.  MySQL onthe other hand has what I consider a very smooth
and understandable API the allows incredible flexibility without
sacrificing simplicity.

James Rich