Visual FoxPro Accessing MySQL

Comparing MySQL with the VFP DBC, SQL Server,
PostgreSQL

VFP DBC Pros:
1. Very fast
2. Free DBC multiuser access and distribution
3. Transactions
4. Referential Integrity
5. Stored Procedures
6. Can be run FROM a variety of file servers running various operating systems
7. Poor ODBC support by web hosting companies
8. Official support will stop sometime after 2015
9. Did we mention, very fast!
MySQL Pros:
1. Multiuser access
2. Transactions
3. Referential Integrity (recent)
4. Stored Procedures (recent)
5. Unlimited database sizes
6. Fast!
7. Free?
8. Available with common, inexpensive web hosting plans
9. Can be run on a variety of operating systems
SQL Server Pros:
1. Multiuser access (not SQLExpress!)
2. Transactions
3. Referential Integrity
4. Stored Procedures
5. Unlimited database sizes
6. Fast
7. Jobs
PostgreSQL Pros:
1. Free (really free!) multiuser access and distribution
2. Transactions
3. Referential Integrity
4. Stored Procedures
5. Unlimited database sizes
6. Fast
7. Available with some, inexpensive web hosting plans
8. Can be run on a variety of operating systems
9. Did we mention FREE?!?
VFP Cons:
1. 2 Gig limit
2. More network traffic
3. Updating database and table structures difficult
MySQL Cons:
1. Requires a server that is more than a File Server
2. May not be “free”?
SQL Server Cons:
1. Requires a server that is more than a File Server
2. Not free
3. Licensing pains
4. Closed source
5. Requires a Microsoft Windows server
6. You may be “forced” to upgrade to keep support
PostgreSQL Cons:
1. Requires a server that is more than a File Server
2. Not as common in inexpensive web hosting plans
3. GUI tools may not be as slick as other offerings (But who cares, really.)