> Because it is difficult to assume what the best encoding will be for any given workload, database systems should dynamically choose encodings based on storage and workload characteristics.
It would be better just to take the storage requirement on the chin and not add a gratuitous variation in encoding which will bite you on the ass somehow (or someone else).
As much as possible, pick one way of doing one thing. Your stuff already has thousands of things to do. Each time you do something in two or more ways, you add combinations between that and surrounding things being done in two or more ways.
The combinatorial explosion problem is nicely solved by defining good interfaces. C++ gives you iterators and algorithms that work on iterators. Clojure has sequence interfaces and functions that work on all sequence types.
That just improves the organization of the program; it doesn't get rid of the increased risks of doing the same thing in N ways that could be pined down to one.
Do this thing in 3 ways, do that one in 4, do another one in 2 and you have 3x4x2 = 24 combinations which are entirely gratuitous compared to the 1 combination that exists if all three things are done one way each.
Oh, you don't have to test the combinations because the code is bug free, is that the argument? Which is because of some good organization?
Those things are nicely isolated so 3 + 4 + 2 unit tests, and we are done?
It would be better just to take the storage requirement on the chin and not add a gratuitous variation in encoding which will bite you on the ass somehow (or someone else).
As much as possible, pick one way of doing one thing. Your stuff already has thousands of things to do. Each time you do something in two or more ways, you add combinations between that and surrounding things being done in two or more ways.