MySQL is apparently getting close to finally releasing version 5. New features include:
BIT Data Type: Can be used to store numbers in binary notation.
Cursors: Elementary support for server-side cursors.
Data Dictionary (Information Schema): The introduction of the INFORMATION_SCHEMA database in MySQL 5.0 provided a standards-compliant means for accessing the MySQL Server's metadata, that is, data about the databases (schemas) on the server and the objects which they contain.
Instance Manager: Can be used to start and stop the MySQL Server, even from a remote host.
Precision Math: MySQL 5.0 introduced stricter criteria for acceptance or rejection of data, and implemented a new library for fixed-point arithmetic. These contributed to a much higher degree of accuracy for mathematical operations and greater control over invalid values.
Storage Engines: Storage engines added in MySQL 5.0 include ARCHIVE and FEDERATED.
Stored Routines: Support for named stored procedures and stored functions was implemented in MySQL 5.0.
Strict Mode and Standard Error Handling: MySQL 5.0 added a strict mode where by it follows standard SQL in a number of ways in which it did not previously. Support for standard SQLSTATE error messages was also implemented.
Triggers: MySQL 5.0 added limited support for triggers.
VARCHAR Data Type: The maximum effective length of a VARCHAR column was increased to 65,532 bytes, and stripping of trailing whitespace was eliminated.
Views: MySQL 5.0 added support for named, updateable views.
XA Transactions.
More details here: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/mysql-5-0-nutshell.html
From what I know, PostgreSQL has all of the above in some form except updatable views (which I think may be in development).
Sxooter?
