Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2. Server
Programming
Environment
You have had a chance to get acquainted with the general idea of using PostgreSQL,
but now we are going to answer the question of why anyone would choose Post-
greSQL as a development platform. As much as I like to believe that it's an easy de-
cision for everyone, it's not.
For starters, let's get rid of the optimistic idea that anyone chooses a database plat-
form for technical reasons. Sure, we would all like to think that we are objective, and
we base our decisions on a preponderance of the technical evidence. This prepon-
derance of evidence then indicates which features are available and relevant to our
application. We would then proceed to make a weighted choice in favor of the most
advantageous platform, and use the balance of the evidence to create workarounds
and alternatives where our choice falls short. The fact is, we don't really understand
all of the requirements of the application until we are halfway through the develop-
ment cycle. Here are some reasons why:
• We don't know how the application will evolve over time. Many start-ups
pivot from their initial idea as the market tells them to change.
• We don't know how many users there will
really
be until we have some re-
gistrations and can begin to measure the curve.
• We don't realize how important a particular feature could be until we get
user feedback. The truth is that we don't really know much of the long term
needs of the application until we're writing Version 2 or maybe even 3.
That is, unless you're one of the fortunate few that has a Research and Development
department that writes the alpha version, throws it out the window, and then asks you
to write the next version based on the lessons learned. Even then, you really don't
know what the usage patterns are going to be once the application is deployed.
What we generally see in the PostgreSQL community, when new users start asking
questions, are not people looking to make a decision, but rather people who already
made a decision. In most cases, they are looking for technical justification for an ex-
isting plan of action. The decision point has already been passed. What I am going to
write about in this chapter is not a TPC benchmark, nor is it about relative merits of
