On Apr 21, 2004, at 8:37 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Puneet Kishor wrote:
my guess is because it can be done other ways (see the docs on this
specifically), and the idea is to keep SQLite as simple as possible. The
more "conveniences" that are added to it, the more complicated it will
become.
Usually, once the database is set, there is little reason to ALTER it...
it all boils down to ROI...
I beg to differ concerning the last point. Adding MORE sql commands is not a
convenience
Basil,
I am simply speculating. Why really ALTER TABLE doesn't exist only Richard can definitively answer.
That said, in the spirit of discussion, this thread could possibly influence Richard (or not). So, here is my take --
but rather can save hundreds to thousands of lines of code!!! I have been
programming in
I can't visualize a scenario where an ALTER TABLE command would save 100s-1000s of lines of code, but that could be my failing. According to the docs (and from my basic SQL knowledge) it seems I would save about 5 lines of code if I had an ALTER table command. If I am using a scripting language, it would be a suitable function that I could call at will.
That said, would I welcome an ALTER TABLE command? Absolutely. I use databases primarily as data stores for web apps, and I am constantly modifying the tables because I am a firm adherent to the "design by the seat of my pants" school. I find MS-Access to be a particularly wonderful database for web app development. It offers easy and convenient modification to tables, a diagramming view where I can make or break relationships, quick querying, etc. Once everything is done, I can always migrate the db to SQL Server or Oracle or MySQL. I sincerely wish there were something like that on my Mac. The new version of Filemaker offers a really nice relationship builder interface, its other shortcomings notwithstanding.
SQL Server's Enterprise Manager is nice, but not quite. And Oracle's Java tools, at least the ones I have used... well, they defy the definition of good taste and sensibility. Suffice it to say that I would not have survived without TOAD.
The thing here is... all these products take a long time to develop. They are expensive -- even Access and FM Pro are $300+. Richard's product is free. I am not quite sure how he makes money doing this, but I am very glad for his gift to us all. SQLite is wonderful, but given what I assume are few resources, my sense is that he is applying it toward developing the basic capabilities of the database, especially if certain "convenient" tasks can be done via not so cumbersome alternatives.
Btw, I have a question that I can't find an answer to --
Is Richard the only developer of SQLite? There are many very knowledgeable sounding C and db type folks on this list, but I would be curious to know more about the "core developers" of SQLite, if there are any besides him. I would like to know this for my own gratification, for knowing who to thank in my prayers, and also as background knowledge on SQLite when trying to justify it for a project.
Regards.
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