SQL Server collations

[PRC1964]

Why do you want case sensitivity?

In EVERY system I've worked on having a case sensitive database would have been a nightmare

Case sensitivity is crucial to what I do. Without it my work would be almost impossible.

[AtW]

Case sensitivity is crucial to what I do. Without it my work would be almost impossible.

The way I see it is that this is part of noobifying stuff.

It's like BASIC which allows non-case sensitive keywords, perfect for noobs, where as C# and other proper languages would have case sensitivity.

This goes much further though - turns out one can't bloody be sure that SQL written in pretty standard way, ie:

select * from URLs where URL='xxx'

would work on all system - ffs, if I wanted case insensitivity I would have used lower() or some other stuff, making default install to have case insensitive collation is so bloody insensitive!

I am going to complain to Bill Gates in person at the first opportunity I get: this adds up to the list of people at Microsoft who did far worse things...

[PAH]

SQL Server collations ... with case insensitivity being default for strings...

What were Microsoft thinking, they're so well known for always being sensitive about their cases.

[AtW]

What were Microsoft thinking, they're so well known for always being sensitive about their cases.

paying exorbitant license fees

[PAH]

paying exorbitant license fees

True. Fell off my chair the other day when I saw how much they charge for the Enterprise edition of SQL Server. $24k IIRC, I assume that's in monopoly money or something.

So what's the fourth option if you decide neither SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL is good enough?

[Spacecadet]

True. Fell off my chair the other day when I saw how much they charge for the Enterprise edition of SQL Server. $24k IIRC, I assume that's in monopoly money or something.

For what you get it's not a bad price and you're not being stung every time you want to do anything extra as it all comes as one package.
Also I think that a lot of companies who get Enterprise could have done with just getting Standard which is a lot cheaper but has enough of the features for a system which could suffer some downtime in the event of a server outage

So what's the fourth option if you decide neither SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL is good enough?

There are plenty of other options, if you have to ask then I can't tell

[AtW]

For what you get it's not a bad price and you're not being stung every time you want to do anything extra as it all comes as one package.

I like SQL Server. That's because it has got Sybase roots and Sybase was sooooo good, really gutted they lost out in the end

Anyway, SQL prices are totally ridiculous - be it Microsoft or Oracle, so we are going to get rid of SQL server and replace it with open source stuff.

This time I'll pay attention to default settings though

PostgreSQL is apparently pretty good - used it some years ago in SKA when they had first beta builds for Windows, but apparently they improved and we'll use Linux version anyway...

[Durbs]

Case sensitivity is crucial to what I do. Without it my work would be almost impossible.

Do you fit the little lights on Caps Lock keys?

[rsingh]

I'd gladly follow your advice and fire our DBA but that would be like firing myself...

Pay peanuts and you get...

[Spacecadet]

Pay peanuts and you get...

Squirrels!