[ic] Database Structure general question.

[Mike Heins]

Quoting Keith Pettit (keithp@censoft.com):
> I wanted to use MySQL so I wouldn't more reliable datastorage than plain
> text file.  But after I upgrade to MySQL I noticed that Interchange still
> uses some text files instead of the database.  For example shipping.asc is
> used instead of the database, but the coutry list is in the database.
> 
> It just seems kind of stupid to use two methods.  Why on earth not use the
> database for everything (execpt images).  I'm just curious why the default
> configuration is like that.

I am sorry I am stupid. I will try and improve. 8-)

For one thing, shipping.asc is not really a database. It is a
configuration table.

Second of all, there are things you can do with the internal DB
that you can't with SQL -- for instance, we would have to munge the 
UPS-supplied tax tables because SQL doesn't allow you to have a field
name that is digits only.

Third, part of this is that Interchange has grown over a five-year
period from other software. It didn't even have SQL to begin with.

I am actually pretty proud of the way that Interchange will mix-and-match
tables in the same installation. You can use LDAP for one of your
VariableDatabase tables to get centralized configuration, the internal
database for miscellaneous non-changing stuff, an Oracle database to
transmit orders to your ERP system, and MySQL for the fast product
display stuff. All in the same catalog.

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