MySQL vs. MS-SQL

[DHDesign]

hi, i have been working with MySQL for a while now but a client has asked if I can instead work with their MS-SQL instead. Besides the cost factor and stuff, does anyone know the programming differences for PHP (with regards to connecting to the DB, running queries, inserting, updating, deleting records, etc.) that the two databases have?

Thanks!

[G]

MS SQL server is just a more heavy duty database that has had store procdures etc for a long time its just really establishede and powers large sites and applications http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/overview/whats-new-in-sqlserver2005.mspx

too much to exaplain but read up on it.

oh yeh...does php have a driver for ms sql built in?? I'm sure you may have to use a 3rd party one.

[JoshuaJonah]

pretty much the same except for the connection strings, look here (http://ca.php.net/function.mssql-connect).

[DHDesign]

thanks for the responses...that's exactly wat i was hoping for...not many changes, just some connection differences.

@G: what is this driver you are refering to? any details on this by any chance?

The app that I'll be building for the client will be simple, so the detailed stored procedures & features or MS-SQL will really be of no use to me (until I learn more about them)...main concern for me is that I can get the same functionality from MS-SQL through PHP as I do with MySQL without having to learn a whole new database system.

[JoshuaJonah]

Nope, shouldnt be a really painful transistion, just painful to the wallet. It's amazing how much people will pay for something thats free...:D

[DHDesign]

@Defective: thanks....and i couldnt agree with you more...i actually asked the client why they are using MS-SQL and their response was that they "felt it was the right way to go"....so I didn't question anymore when you get a response like that.

anyway, they're paying me for the job...so, ohwell. their loss.

[ironikart]

MS SQL server is just a more heavy duty database that has had store procdures etc for a long time its just really establishede and powers large sites and applications

laughable. Just because MySQL is free + open source, doesn't make it any less of a enterprise solution database, especially since the release of version 5.

Same goes for PostgreSQL - clients avoid it like the plague because it's open source, then shell out the cash for Oracle, including a couple hundred thousand for it's hardware requirements.

[teiz77]

When you use PHP you should look into adodb (or if you use dreamweaver; phakt, which is dreamweaver compatible) ... it's a database abstraction layer for php. You can easily swith between database types afterwards... Try not to use an odbc connection. They're not too fast

[JoshuaJonah]

I use a folder full of database classes and just include which one i'm using... It's a good trick for anybody who hates php. (see under name on left)