Possible Duplicate:
MySql: MyISAM vs. Inno DB!
Hi,
I have a read through about MyISAM and InnoDB on http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/storage-engines.html
MyISAM manages nontransactional tables. It provides high-speed storage and retrieval, as well as fulltext searching capabilities. MyISAM is supported in all MySQL configurations, and is the default storage engine unless you have configured MySQL to use a different one by default.
while,
The InnoDB and BDB storage engines provide transaction-safe tables. To maintain data integrity, InnoDB also supports FOREIGN KEY referential-integrity constraints.
But I still don't understand - Why MyISAM or InnoDB.
InnoDB seems to be interesting but what kind of websites we should go for InnoDB? What is it actually for? foreign key support - what is foreign key for?
I always have all my tables set with MyISAM for my website which have a CMS, Blog, Emailing, Newsletter sign up, searching purposes, etc.
Thanks.
EDIT:
I just read the answers from the other thread,
- MYISAM doesnt support any database transactions,
- INNODB will provide transactions
- MYISAM provides a table level locking,
- INNODB provides a row level locking
But I still don't get it -
database transactions - what does it mean? when do we actually use them?
a table level locking - what is it?
a row level locking - again, what is it? what is it for?
I am not asking about the difference between InnoDB and MYISAM - I wonder what kind of websites we should go for InnoDB? transaction websites? then what is a transaction website??
thanks.
