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

[David Gerard]

On 05/02/2008, The Gadget Doctor <mediawiki at thegadgetdoctor.com> wrote:

> 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).
> 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.


We use one database, but a different prefix for each wiki in our farm.
I'm the one who set it all up, there's several Unix admins here who
may have to do tasks up to dev level on the wikis.

The only hazard to this approach that I can see is those occasions
when one is fiddling with things at the MySQL command line, and
forgetting to double-check with a SELECT before running an UPDATE that
you've got the right line of the right table.


- d.