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Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

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Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#22
post #6
post #5

Problematic name, could become a millstone on the neck of the developer far into the future.

It was most likely picked as an analogy to "git".

This is correct. Specifically, to pay homage to git and how Linus named it.

Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#24

I collected all the git for data open source projects I could find a few months back, there have been a bunch of interesting approaches https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jGQY_wjj7dYVne6toyzm...

This one seems to be missing: https://projectnessie.org/

Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#25
post #13
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. I couldn't immediately see if it was "DOLT" or "do it", as in "just do it". It's the former.

I was going back and forth between the two until seeing doLt in terminal font.

This ambiguity in sans serif fonts has actually been pretty annoying. Especially since GitHub doesn't let you choose your font on readmes and stuff.

Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#26
post #6
post #5

Problematic name, could become a millstone on the neck of the developer far into the future.

It was most likely picked as an analogy to "git".

Dolt and git are closer to synonymous rather than analogous.

Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#27
post #15

It's amazing this isn't a standard feature. The database world seems to have focused on large, high volume, globally distributed databases. Presumably you would't version clickstream or IoT sensor data. Features like this that are only feasible below a certain scale are underdeveloped and I think there's opportunity there.

Datomic has some sort of zero-cost forming of the database: it’s “add-only” design makes this cheap.

Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#28
post #15

It's amazing this isn't a standard feature. The database world seems to have focused on large, high volume, globally distributed databases. Presumably you would't version clickstream or IoT sensor data. Features like this that are only feasible below a certain scale are underdeveloped and I think there's opportunity there.

Every DB engine used at scale has a concept of snapshots and backups. This just looks like someone making a git-like porcelain for the same kind of DB management constructs.

Re: Dolt is Git for Data: a SQL database that you can fork, clone, branch, merge

#30
But do you really need this functionality, if you already have an SQL database?

That is, you can:

1. Create a table with an extra changeset id column and a branch id column, so that you can keep historical values.

2. Have a view on that table with the latest version of each record on the master branch.

3. Express branching-related actions as actions on the main table with different record versions and branch names

4. For the chocolate sprinkles, have tables with changeset info and branch info

and that gives you a poor man's git already - doesn't it?

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