Re: sqlite3

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> [2021-12-15 08:16]:
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> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
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> 
>   > > It looks quite binary to me.
> 
>   > Uhm...  yes?  Nobody has said that it isn't.
> 
> A real text file is more robust when things go wrong.

Not so categorically speaking. Text files depend on binary foundation
such as the file system and its storage. Change a byte by `poke' on
file system and things may go wrong. Hard disks failures will change
files as well, make them disappear or break all the data.

For things not to go wrong one has to make backups and move data to
different media.

> A binary format that you can convert to text is not as robust as real
> text.  Converters are designed to handle a valid binary file.  In
> general, it's not clear what is the proper conversion of a corrupted
> binary file.

Backup of sqlite to text is easy:

sqlite> .output "mybackup.sql"
sqlite> .dump

> Thus, in general, when the file is corrupted, you can't convert it
> to text.

When text file is really corrupted one cannot recover the data that
was there in the text file. When it is deleted, one cannot get it
(unless with undelete tools). 

It is very simple to invoke database backups. It was always
suggestion for computer users to backup their file systems, diskettes,
cassettes, to "archive" data, that was since the inception of
computers. Security of data applies equally to text files and binary
files. 

> Therefore, "text file" should be the default option for configuration
> data in Emacs.  People who would rather use an sqlite3 file should
> select that option explicitly.

I agree to that for reason of Emacs history and Emacs Lisp usage over
time. 

I don't agre to arguments for that. Databases have been designed with
integrity, safety, reliability, recoverability, fault
tolerance. Generalization which represent your personal opinions,
cannot dispute those well established, technical and known facts.


Jean

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