Re: What so special about PostgreSQL and other RDBMS?

Quirk (quirk_at_syntac.net) writes:
> [comp.databases.ms-sqlserver group removed]

You really need training! You failed again! (And while you are at it, drop comp.lang.ruby which we both were requested by mail to do.)  

> But you *would* risk your Job on developing "high-end commercial"
> applications for which you have no source code for dependencies, or
> even perpetual access (at any cost) to the dependencies, and a sole
> source for your support?

It happens to the be the case that in my position as an SQL Server MVP I could get access to the source code for SQL Server, or at least I think so. But I have not taken up on this offer. Why? Because I would absolutely no use for it. I know about SQL programming, the SQL Server source code is a lot of C++ code which is far beyond my field of expertise.

And this applies to the very vast majority of SQL Server users.

> Most of the poor closed-source zealots do not even realize what a
> small segment of the computer industry licence vending closed-source
> software developers actualy are.

I don't know if there are any closed-source zealots out there. I am certainly not one of them. If I knew that MySQL or PostgresSQL was the best solution for someone, I would not hesitate from making the recomendation. Admittedly, it is a bit unlikely, but that is only because my expert knowledge lies with SQL Server, so I would really know what I am recommending. (And, no, I would not recommend SQL Server, just because I know that one well.)  

-- 
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, sommar_at_algonet.se

Books Online for SQL Server SP3 at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/productdoc/2000/books.asp