[AccessD] Learning .Net

"Why SQL Server and not Oracle?????"

aaaakkkkkgh...  For lotsa techie info on why what where and who, Google " Oracle vs SQL Server"

For me, it is sheer ease of use, and the fact that SQL Server logic largely makes sense where as Oracle (like the name suggests) seems to involve elements of faith or belief (or disbelief - IMHO of course).  For example the Oracle NULL seems gibberish to me:

For example:

"Though common sense leads us to conclusion that a basket with one apple is clearly different from a basket without apples, in Oracle they are not different. 

So the empty basket is not different from a non-empty one, but then again, they are also not the same. Putting all that in one sentence, the empty is not equal to anything, nor different from anything, including nothing. It is a bit painful, isn't it?

In theory, any binary operation involving NULL will also give NULL, but even that is not consistent. Add NULL to 1 and you will get NULL, but concatenate NULL to 'Donald' and you will get 'Donald'. NULL and empty string, as far as Oracle is concerned, are the same (but then again, not equal). And, to make things worse, there are EMPTY_CLOB and EMPTY_BLOB. Clobs and Blobs are strange enough for themselves, but EMPTY versions exist only to make our life harder." - From http://www.orafaq.com/node/1023

uh huh... make a lot sense?  I didn't think so...

Besides you can download, install and run SQL Server Express 2008 for free - and my word, what a fantastic product it is.  Sure it is missing a few bells and whistles that the enterprise version has, but for most folks doing database stuff it has plenty of grunt under the hood.  Rock solid, easy to integrate into existing Excel and Access Front ends and frankly a joy to use.

It also runs great on low specced PC's.  I have it installed on my Dell Lattitude D600 which is years old now (2GB RAM on XP Pro), and SQL Server just sings along. Process data much faster than having an Access BE - I was suprised, but the speed and stability speak for themselves.

As for Oracle - well, I am note quite a member of the "I Hate Oracle" club, but one does exist. And the computer science guy I sit next to at work can give you plenty of reasons why Oracle stinks if you want me to press him on it. :)

cheers
Darryl.

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