[eluser]Phil Sturgeon[/eluser]
[quote author="bargainph" date="1244119413"]I don't think that's correct. You could use straight sql query as long as it's 'acceptable' in the database gonna be used.[/quote]
Actually Dam1an is spot on. AR takes out all of the little non-standard quirks that exist between various SQL implementations. A few examples:
MySQL wildcard: %
MSSQL wildcard *
MySQL limit: LIMIT 10, 0
MSSQL limit: LIMIT 0, 10
There are more but I haven't had my morning coffee.
AR also helps with things such as auto-escaping of field names for more standard SQL and lets you set table name prefixes. If I used 100% AR then at any time I could change table names from `tablename` to `site1_tablename`. Very handy when making downloadable apps for the masses, and something I will have to revisit for PyroCMS.