Q: Oracle v. SQL Server

Hi, all.

I've worked with SQL Server for several years, and with Oracle for some months. I've followed some of your flame wars, and the discussion seems to start with speed and reliability issues and end up with Hitler <g>.

As I said, I have only worked with Oracle Server for some months, but so far I am very impressed with the product. It has a lot of features important to me as a developer, stuff like the power of PL/SQL compared to T-SQL, the quality of the PL/SQL-compiler is much better than Microsofts, I love user-defined functions.

Some of the good things about SQL Server is the simplicity, I can transfer a database from one server to another using Enterprise Damager. It also has very good programs for administrering a server. I still don't know the difference between SYS/INTERNAL and SYSTEM users, or DBA/SYSDBA and so on. And who is this SCOTT guy???

Anyway, can someone fill me in on the things that separates Oracle from MS SQL Server from a developers perspective? Does anyone use objects, object views, multiple instances, triggers written in Java, varrays, nested tables, Oracle pipes, dimensions and materialized views, Advanced Queuing, or is this stuff just feature creep from the Marketing department?

What is really bad about Oracle, and therefore should be avoided?

Thanks in advance

Bjørn Augestad
boa_at_orion.no Received on Sun May 23 1999 - 15:31:03 CDT