[Rd] generic database access methods

David James
Tue, 03 Apr 2001 14:31:40 -0000

On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Prof Brian D Ripley wrote:

>
> On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Timothy H. Keitt wrote:
>
> > I have a package ready to distribute for testing.  Its actually a
package
cluster
> > with "Rdbi.base" and "Rdbi.PgSQL."  I've moved
the main read loop out of R
and
> > into C and now get around 200K integer reads a second (includes
copying
results
> > into a data frame).  I'm happy for someone to take over from here
(or to
propose
> > an alternative framework).  Perhaps we can make it a group effort
(transfer
copyright
> > to the R project, etc.)  I would suggest that we start with the
absolute
minimal
> > interface and add features very carefully.  It would be great to see a
general
> > database framework make it into a future release of R.
>
> Three comments:
>
> (1) We are still trying to figure out how to set up a framework for
> discussions of this sort (Martin: any progress on SIG lists)?

Okay, we can wait.

>
> (2) It is unlikely that this will `make it into a future release of R',
as
> our aim is to make R smaller not larger.  Rather, what we would like (I
> believe) is a `Recommended Package' that fits alongside R.  We intend
to
> unbundle quite a lot of what is already there so R has a small kernel and
> lots of addons.  There are practical reasons (embedding in other
> applications) as well as aesthetic ones.

IMHO it's a good idea -- "small is beatiful".

> (3) This is an area where common solutions across R/S would be very
> welcome.

Absolutely.

>
> Lots of things came out of the Vienna meeting, and some of us at least
> had/have still to catch up on our day jobs too, so please bear with us
> while we get things set up.  A unified databases interface is definitely on
> the list.
>
> Brian
>
> --
> Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk
> Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
> University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
> 1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272860 (secr)
> Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595