Re: Oracle 7.1 versus MS SQL*Server

From: Ken Weir <KWEIR_at_TORONTO.CBC.CA>
Date: 1995/06/23
Message-ID: <3sfa3p$roh_at_noc.tor.hookup.net>#1/1


jda_at_rhh.dk (John D'Arcy) wrote:

>

>
>
> I am presently involved in reviewing a client's database needs. They
> are running an old (read ancient) version of oracle (5.1.17) on a UNIX box.
> I would recomend updating to Oracle 7.1, but the client seems to like
> MS SQL*Server. As I have no experience with MS SQL*Server, I would
> appreciate any comments/advantages/disadvantages/experience/good advice/
> bad advice ......
>
> Thanks in advance,
> John D'Arcy
>

I have used both, and believe Oracle to be the better back end. Why? The decode sql command in Oracle would be the biggest reason. MS SQL*Server version 4.21 does not have a comparable command, I am not sure about the new version (6) that is due to be released. When I was learning MS SQL*Server (on NT), I hung our server a number of times. I had to completely reboot the server.
This was due to submitting an incorrect SQL statement (or a poorly designed one), that it still accepted and tried to execute. Once I read all the syntax and administrator books, that disappeared, but it was still frustrating. I was at a Microsoft Conference in Toronto in November of 94 and the Microsoft Employee giving a talk on Microsoft SQL*Server admitted that version 4.21 had it's share of problems and was behind some of the other back ends. He assured everyone that Version 6 will correct all these problems and add many new features. This may be true but it is still nice to have that decode command.   Received on Fri Jun 23 1995 - 00:00:00 CEST

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