On: The database ruins all good ideas

[justinclift]

> Well if you can't get input that violates that integrity then what are you gaining by enforcing that integrity?

Perhaps I'm wording this badly?

Your application should _not_ be generating data which can't go into the database correctly. If it is, that's a different set of problems. ;)

[lmm → justinclift]

What are you claiming the purpose of integrity constraints in the database is? If your application doesn't generate data which can't go in the database correctly, what's the observable difference between a database that enforces constraints and a database that doesn't?

[CRConrad → lmm]

The difference is that one of them informs you when you've failed at generating valid data to save, and the other doesn't.