I tend to prefer to treat SQL databases as dumb and generic as possible... you can go a LONG way supporting multiple databases until you need something more complex. For most organizations, supporting more than a single SQL variant is just painful. The only time I ever saw, for example, Microsoft Data Application Blocks in a useful scenario was an enterprise app that had to support MS-SQL and Oracle. Most of the variance was custom stored procedures for each named the same with the same signatures... It actually really sucked.

I don't blame them, and despite supporters, mySQL is constantly the most inconsistent non-standard SQL database of them all. I wished they'd just do a major version shift, dump the historical defaults, and be strongly consistent and compliant by default. Much like Oracle, I have no intention of ever using mySQL unless managing the thing is something I never have to do.

I'd rather use MS-SQL or PostgreSQL than mySQL.