/**
* Constructor.
+ *
+ * FIXME: It is possible to construct a Database object with no associated
+ * connection object, by specifying no parameters to __construct(). This
+ * feature is deprecated and should be removed.
+ *
+ * FIXME: The long list of formal parameters here is not really appropriate
+ * for MySQL, and not at all appropriate for any other DBMS. It should be
+ * replaced by named parameters as in DatabaseBase::factory().
+ *
+ * DatabaseBase subclasses should not be constructed directly in external
+ * code. DatabaseBase::factory() should be used instead.
+ *
* @param string $server database server host
* @param string $user database user name
* @param string $password database user password