MyISAM or InnoDB

Hi,

I wish to use referential integrity (FOREIGN KEY), so I need to use InnoDB
for this, right?

I think referential integrity is like the minimum requirement to ensure
consistency in any normalized database. Why do people keep using MyISAM
(because it's fast I'm sure).. why does MyISAM not support FOREIGN KEY
statements? It's so a must have.

Lisa

Lisa Pearlson wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I wish to use referential integrity (FOREIGN KEY), so I need to use InnoDB
> for this, right?

Yes, you're right. For FOREIGN KEY support you need InnoDB.


> I think referential integrity is like the minimum requirement to ensure
> consistency in any normalized database. Why do people keep using MyISAM
> (because it's fast I'm sure).. why does MyISAM not support FOREIGN KEY
> statements? It's so a must have.

The referential integrity can also be ensured on application level. Some
rather big database based applications don't use FOREIGN KEY constraints
at all because of performance considerations.

With MySQL you have the choice between the fast MyISAM and the
referential integrity keeping InnoDB storage engine.

Bye, Hakan
--
Hakan Kuecuekyilmaz