On Thu, Sep 09, 2004 at 02:57:32PM -0400, Chris Devers wrote:
> On Thu, 9 Sep 2004, Johann Spies wrote:
>
> >We have a situation that we need to open a dbm-file but cannot do so
> >using perl version 5.8.4-2 on Debian Sarge. The following script
> >fails, but the same script and dbm-file works on Woody with perl 5.6:
>
> Apparently, DBM files can get messed up if you create them with one
> version of the DBM but then work with them under another. Unlike about
> all other modules, this is something that has to be handled when Perl
> itself is compiled, and the DBM engine that that instance of Perl is
> linked to has to stay the same forever. Or something. It's complicated.
>
> See <http://www.perldoc.com/perl5.8.4/pod/perltrap.html#DBM-Traps> (scan
> down a bit for the string 'dbm' -- the anchor doesn't actually go to the
> right section of the document, but it's almost at the end).
>
> My understanding is that the best workaround for this these days is to
> use AnyDBM_File, or a "real" database engine & driver. See:
>
> <http://www.perldoc.com/perl5.8.4/lib/AnyDBM_File.html>
> <http://search.cpan.org/~nwclark/perl-5.8.5/lib/AnyDBM_File.pm>
>
> For things that used to be done in DBM variants, SQLite has been getting
> very popular recently. It's a small, fast, way to get SQL query access
> to structured disc files (which arguably makes it a better MySQL than
> MySQL, considering the features that database has been adding lately).
> Moreover, it shouldn't have these problems with static linking that have
> been annoying DBM users for years now.
>
> Read more about it:
>
> <http://search.cpan.org/~msergeant/DBD-SQLite-1.04/lib/DBD/SQLite.pm>
> <http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2003/09/03/perlcookbook.html>
>
> If you're not already locked in with DBM, SQLite may be much easier.
Thanks. We are using WebCT here which has the DBM-technology
embedded. So SQLite is not an option in this case. We will try
AnyDBM.
Regards
Johann
--
Johann Spies Telefoon: 021-808 4036
Informasietegnologie, Universiteit van Stellenbosch
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8,9
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