Re: storing data in a desktop app
On Sun, 27 Feb 2011, David Segall wrote:
markspace <-@.> wrote:
On 2/26/2011 9:12 PM, harryos wrote:
Is it a good idea to use rdbms in a desktop app?
I wrote a similar app a while back for myself. I didn't use a RDBMS.
It seemed far too complicated for just a little time keeping app.
Instead, I just used POJO domain objects, and serialized the object
graph to disc. Simple and easy. Now if you have more sophisticated
needs than I did, maybe an RDBMS makes sense. But I'd try it with
POJOs first, it might work just fine.
Why write the code required to try it with POJOs?
Because it's about six lines - three to save, three to load. Working with
an RDBMS is pretty easy, working with an ORM is even easier, but working
with objects and serialization is dumfoundingly easy.
An RDBMS provides far more functionality
True - and where that's needed, and RDBMS is a great way to get it.
and consists of documented, extensively tested, code.
As does serialization.
Even a little time keeping app probably requires referential integrity
to ensure that, for example, the project you say you are working on
exists.
Serialization provides that. Or rather, the Java object model provides
that, and serialization captures it.
I'm not saying that serialization is a good choice for all situations, but
it's an eminently reasonable thing to do for a simple app, or as a first
cut at storage in a complex app. Start with it, and add a database when
you have a reason to.
tom
--
Everything looks kind of OK