Square pegs and round holes: A reflection on Class::DBI

Class::DBI is a database abstraction layer for perl that makes it easy to get a project up and running. Unfortunately it is also a complex beast with a lot of dependencies that cannot always be manipulated into the shape that the user needs.

A reflection on two developments:

• An application built upon Class::DBI that is now, after two years and many enhancements, beginning to creak at the seams as Class::DBI begins to act in unpredictable ways
• An application where it was decided, due to the complexity and dependencies of Class::DBI, to forego an existing abstraction layer and roll a new one. This eventually incorporated many of the features of Class::DBI, albeit for one specific environment, but has proven to be sustainable and has since been used in other projects

These two examples show that adopting an established framework is not always the best path to take as the needs of the organisation must take precendence over the needs of the framework.