Re: A few dumb questions

[Kris Jenkins]

Oliver Zeigermann wrote: Folks, I am considering to use ibatis as a database mapping tool for Jakarta Slide and am wondering if anyone can tell me 1) which databases are known to work with ibatis? Really all known ones? Or this there an explicite list? Quoth the website: "Works with any database that has a JDBC driver (no plugins required)" Personally, I've used it with Oracle & Postgres in production, and MySql privately, with absolutely no problems. 2) how ibatis compares to OBJ (http://db.apache.org/ojb) or hibernate? What would be reasons for ibatis? I'm always in danger of starting a war on this topic, so forgive me if I rant.  However... The thing I like about SqlMap (that I vehemently dislike about most alternatives) is that it doesn't get in my way.  It gives me full unfettered access to the SQL that fetches my data.  So I know that if I can construct the SQL query, SqlMap can handle it.  Just as important, I know that if I /optimise/ that query, SqlMap won't assume it knows better. My short and bitter experience tells me that many OR solutions assume they know SQL better than I do, that they know my database flavour better than I do, and that they know my database schema better than I do[1].  There are times, and projects, when these 3 things are true.  When they are, the SQL-hiding tools are doubtless faster and easier.  When those assumptions break down, it's time to reach for SqlMap. fn1. They don't, they don't, and they don't.  Not because I'm any sort of guru, but because it involves the kind of expert knowledge that humans are very good at and computers take years of programming and maintenance to match. 3) if I store back a huge object which is only partly changed, how does ibatis know which data to store back? Does it compare the object to anything? Is caching involved in this? Or does it store back everything? SqlMap doesn't do any 'dirtiness' checking on objects.  It won't know to only persist child[3], for example.  That falls on the programmer I'm afraid. There are configurable caching options on queries though, and it's worth checking the documentation for what they can (and can't) provide. HTH, Kris -- Kris Jenkins Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Blog: http://cafe.jenkster.com/ Wiki: http://wiki.jenkster.com/