Archive for December, 2005

After thrashing the remaining few bugs in QS 0.14, and after adding the MySQL/PostgreSQL compatible XMLSchema based on the ADOdb AXMLS format to the installer. I have gotten around to making a few custom changes to how the database is set up. One of the things everyone (well, everyone should) know is that MySQL is not the most feature packed DBMS available. Its often recommended however that the best approach to a database platform is to invest heavily in one – rather than dilute your options with several incompatible ones.

Back on topic. With MySQL 4.0 penetration, so too has penetrated the excellent InnoDB storage engine, which is standard on MySQL 4.0, and is the default (replacing MyISAM) on 4.1 to 5.0. This will now become the preferred engine for Quantum Star SE on MySQL (PostgreSQL works differently – its had Transaction support for longer). That means that when you go to install QS on MySQL for v0.15 you will need MySQL4 or greater.

I’ll BC back to MySQL3 when I have the time – take pity on the poor souls still using MySQL3…

As for why Transactions… Transactions can help ensure that data integrity and consistency is maintained. It can also be more efficient (all writes are only committed at the end of a transaction). In SE speak, if you move a ship, a transaction will only be committed if the ship, user, fleet or other database writes associated with a movement are without errors. This prevents the situation where one is successful, one fails, and the player’s game is essentially ruined unless there’s some code detecting those errors, or an Admin directly edits the database for who knows how many ships!