[Mediawiki-l] Is there any reason to use a table name prefix if you don't have to?

[David A. Desrosiers]

> I would like to ask the philosophical question of whether using a 
> table prefix like "mw_" is of any use later? I have pretty much full 
> control of my box, can have as many MySQL databases as I like 
> (including dev, test and live ones).

Currently all maintenance tasks are hard-coded with the standard table 
names. I've run into this and been bitten by it far too many times.

If you want to use table prefixes (which I must do in my install; 50+ 
wikis using 1 single 30gb+ database), you have to hand-edit the 
maintenance scripts to compensate for that.

> It would seem to me that having completely separate databases (as 
> opposed to differently named tables) is the way to go for me but can 
> anyone help out with practical experience. Up to now I've used a 
> prefix of mw_ and I could continue with that or just stop.

It all depends on your specific application, and how you intend on 
designing it. There is no one, hard-fast rule for how it "Should Be 
Done(tm)".