[wp-hackers] Re: Changing MySQL minimum version

[Brian Layman]

> I agree with Viper007bond, though - isn't having a slower than ideal
> implementation of sub-queries better than none?
It depends upon how many sites you eliminate from the user base because the
generic/popular hosts have only updated to the last release of 4.0.  A worst
case scenario would be that WP releases a version that requires 4.1 and
quarter to half of the blogs out there attempt an upgrade that fails, all
because one routine in a key area is the only routine in the entire core
that uses sub-queries.

I haven't joined this conversation to any degree, because it seems that we
are arguing from a vacuum.  How can anyone answer whether or not it is safe
to upgrade until someone provides proof that a roll out of 4.1 based WP is
feasible.  Nobody has asking questions like "Who are the top 20 must popular
webhosts and what version of MySQL are they running?".  If everyone else has
upgraded and 1and1.com is the exception, then perhaps it should be
considered even if 1and1 is as big as they say they are.  I doubt 1and1 is
the sole exception.

> Is there a compelling reason to choose 4.0 over 4.1?
Not, in my mind, for WP 2.1.  Even if a sub-query allows some whiz bang
feature that could be thrown in at the last minute, the cost of all of the
sites that cannot upgrade, I suspect, would be too great.  And it's getting
pretty late in the game to start rewriting stuff to wrap it in "if version <
4.1" statements.

If a move is gonna be made, I think it should the decision should be made
before the design takes place.  Or, at least, before the majority of the
coding for the release takes place.  There certainly are a lot of things
that subqueries allow.  The best way to take advantage of that is to design
any new features around having that ability.  That is so much better than
retrofitting.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents...

_______________________________________________
Brian Layman
www.TheCodeCave.com