[TYPO3-dev] Request for cleanup of typo3 database schema

[Sven Wilhelm]

hi,

I'd like to request the start for a cleanup of the typo3 database schema.

why?
even there is a database abstraction layer available, it's hard till
impossible to serve typo3 on dbms other than mysql. the most trash that is
possible with typo3 is also available in the schema.

some my call typo3 "portable" to other dbms, but fact is, it's impossible to
port without heavy filtering/cleanup. maybe some "cracks" will find it
distributable to do it this way, but for a clean administration it isn't,
it's just hacking.

so what changes would be required?
* changing the core schema and substitute blobs by text fields
* dropping all tiny and medium fields using the next possible size
  of a standard the required standard field (text, integer)
  * requires some thoughts what the most distributable fields are
* maybe using a generator for database specific sql schemas

more future oriented tasks?
* changing the kickstarter to use these more portable datatypes

looking into the current schema, the most "bugfixing" should be possible by
using TEXT for blobs and INTEGER for (tiny|medium)?int(??).

the typical INTEGER on most dbms is a 4 byte integer, so it should be long
enough to store all important data.

attributes like deleted, hidden (at the moment tinyint(3)) are boolean
fields. as mysql has no native boolean datatype it's an alias for
tinyint(1). so also there it should be possible to cleanup the schema.

as Ingo Renner has started to force an enlargement of the name and title
attributes for the user and group informations, I would recommend to force
a standard lengths for varchar fields, 2 or 3 different sizes (better than
the mix at the moment).

any feedback?

I will filter the current schema to use theses standards and will test on a
postgres. Any experiences welcome (not driving a postgres :) but problems
in on or more parts of typo3).

would be nice to see that cleanup as a part of 4.2.

kind regards

sven