Re: [Gnumed-devel] Gnumed on Windows: the pain of pyPgSQL

[Tim Churches]

Karsten Hilbert wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 09, 2005 at 02:07:11PM +0800, address@hidden wrote:
> 
> Good things are heard of psycopg. I am currently unsure of
> it's Windows support, though. If so I'd consider that one
> when switching GNUmed.
> 
> 
>>Or should I have a another bash at my pure-python adaptor
>>(as this is easier to support)
> 
> I do have to admit a pure Python one sounds intriguing and
> useful. I wonder why there isn't any. The one relevant
> question probably is: Can it be made performant ?

Look, GNUmed is (collectively) your project - I am just an interested
observer - but I really don't understand why you need to change
Python-PostgreSQL database adaptors. I sent Ian binaries of pyPgSQL for
Win32 and Python2.4 obtained from www.haering.de - unfortunately that
Web site now seems to be some other sort of company. Nevertheless, the
maintained pyPgSQL code can be checked out of the SourceForge CVS and a
Win32 binary compiled. Sure that is extra work, but is it more or less
extra work than a) writing your own Python-PostgreSQL adaptor or b)
swapping to pyscopg or some other adaptor? My advice is to think
carefully about such decisions before taking them. Note that although
these adaptors are all nominally written to the Python DB-API v2
specification, that specification contains some lattitude which means
that replacing one adaptor with another may not be as simple as it
seems. I suppose that the GNUmed unit tests for basic database
operations will detect any problems early on, but it seems like you are
making a rod for your collective backs, given that there seem to be
more pressing tasks with respect to finishing GNUmed. I would have
thought that there is at least several (very tedious) person-weeks work
in just writing unit tests for a new adaptor (although you could borrow
the pyPgSQL ones...).

Finally, has anyone bothered to contact the pyPgSQL maintainers, Billie
Allie and Gerhard Haering? Couldn't the German GNUmed team look up
Gerhard's telephone number, give him a ring and ask him what the story
is regarding Win32 binaries for pyPgSQL? If he is not in a position to
create new ones himself, I bet he would be willing to tell you how.

Or you could create your own Python-PostgreSQL adaptor, to add to the 5
or 6 already in existence.

Tim C