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You are almost always better off using Solr in addition to a database

Does the sentence above mean:

You are better NOT using Solr with a database

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The assumption is you'll be using a database anyway. If not, you wouldn't have any data to search, so you'd have no use for Solr. The suggestion is that you use Solr as well as whatever search facilities come with your database system. – FumbleFingers Dec 19 '11 at 4:59
All of your answers and comments are good. As I can only choose one answer, I choose the easiest one to understand to me. Thanks. – JatSing Dec 19 '11 at 6:47

closed as too localized by FumbleFingers, RegDwighт♦ Dec 19 '11 at 11:34

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4 Answers

up vote 2 down vote accepted

"Addition" is the noun form of "add", as in 2+2=4, or in a non-mathematical sense, to combine two or more things in some way.

So "in addition to" means to add one thing to another, that is, to have or use both. When we say "A in addition to B" we normally mean that you already have or plan to get B, and someone is saying that you will or should also get A. In the example you give, the writer is saying that it is expected or assumed that you will use a database, and he is saying you should also use "Solar".

Likewise one could say, "You should wear socks in addition to shoes", meaning we know you plan to wear shoes, but you should also wear socks. Etc.

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up vote 1 down vote

Solr is a "blazing fast open source enterprise search platform from the Apache Lucene project." This is a software tool.

An equivalent statement might be, "You are almost always better off using a pick in addition to a shovel when digging."

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Sorry, my English is not good enough to understand clearly what you said. Would you simply tell me if Solr is recommended to be used with database or not ? – JatSing Dec 19 '11 at 4:51
up vote 1 down vote

"In addition to" carries a similar meaning to that of "with."

So, yes, They are recommending that you use Solr with a database.

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up vote 1 down vote

"It is better to use Solr along with a database, in most cases" is what the sentence means. You will benefit by the additional use of Solr when you use a database.

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