diff --git a/core/ClassInfo.php b/core/ClassInfo.php
index b8be71c69..9e497cc99 100755
--- a/core/ClassInfo.php
+++ b/core/ClassInfo.php
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ class ClassInfo {
 	 */
 	static function hasTable($class) {
 		if(DB::isActive()) {
-			$SQL_table = Convert::raw2sql($class);
-			return (bool)(DB::query("SHOW TABLES LIKE '$SQL_table'")->value());
+			return DB::getConn()->hasTable($class);
 		} else {
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -40,14 +39,7 @@ class ClassInfo {
 	 * Returns the manifest of all classes which are present in the database.
 	 */
 	static function getValidSubClasses(){
-		// Get the enum of all page types from the SiteTree table
-		$classnameinfo = DB::query("DESCRIBE SiteTree ClassName")->first();
-		preg_match_all("/'[^,]+'/", $classnameinfo["Type"], $matches);
-		
-		foreach($matches[0] as $value) {
-			$classes[] = trim($value, "'");
-		}
-		return $classes;
+		return DB::getConn()->enumValuesForField("SiteTree", "ClassName");
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/core/model/Database.php b/core/model/Database.php
index 637348d39..220091be2 100755
--- a/core/model/Database.php
+++ b/core/model/Database.php
@@ -111,6 +111,22 @@ abstract class Database extends Object {
 	 */
 	protected abstract function tableList();
 	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Returns true if the given table exists in the database
+	 */
+	abstract function hasTable($tableName);
+	
+	/**
+	 * Returns the enum values available on the given field
+	 */
+	abstract function enumValuesForField($tableName, $fieldName);
+	
+	/**
+	 * Convert a SQLQuery object into a SQL statement
+	 */
+	abstract function sqlQueryToString(SQLQuery $sqlQuery);
+	
 	/**
 	 * The table list, generated by the tableList() function.
 	 * Used by the requireTable() function.
@@ -297,6 +313,8 @@ abstract class Database extends Object {
 		
 		Profiler::mark('requireField');
 		
+		// TODO: This is tempororary
+		$spec['parts']['name'] = $field;
 		//Convert the $spec array into a database-specific string
 		$spec=DB::getConn()->$spec['type']($spec['parts']);
 				
@@ -386,37 +404,37 @@ abstract class Database extends Object {
 	function manipulate($manipulation) {
 		foreach($manipulation as $table => $writeInfo) {
 			if(isset($writeInfo['fields']) && $writeInfo['fields']) {
-				$fieldList = array();
+				$fieldList = $columnList = $valueList = array();
 				foreach($writeInfo['fields'] as $fieldName => $fieldVal) {
 					$fieldList[] = "\"$fieldName\" = $fieldVal";
+					$columnList[] = "\"$fieldName\"";
+
+					// Empty strings inserted as null in INSERTs.  Replacement of Database::replace_with_null().
+					if($fieldVal === "''") $valueList[] = "null";
+					else $valueList[] = $fieldVal;
 				}
-				$fieldList = implode(", ", $fieldList);
 				
 				if(!isset($writeInfo['where']) && isset($writeInfo['id'])) {
-					$writeInfo['where'] = "ID = $writeInfo[id]";
+					$writeInfo['where'] = "\"ID\" = " . (int)$writeInfo['id'];
 				}
 				
 				switch($writeInfo['command']) {
 					case "update":
+						$fieldList = implode(", ", $fieldList);
 						$sql = "update \"$table\" SET $fieldList where $writeInfo[where]";
 						$this->query($sql);
-
-						// If numAffectedRecord = 0, then we want to run instert instead
-						if(!$this->affectedRows()) {
-							if(!isset($writeInfo['fields']['ID']) && isset($writeInfo['id'])) {
-								$fieldList .= ", ID = $writeInfo[id]";
-							}
-							$sql = "insert into \"$table\" SET $fieldList";
-							$this->query($sql, null);
-						}
-						break;
+						
+						// If affectedRows = 0, then don't break, meaning the insert query below gets called
+						if($this->affectedRows()) break;
 
 					case "insert":
 						if(!isset($writeInfo['fields']['ID']) && isset($writeInfo['id'])) {
-							$fieldList .= ", ID = $writeInfo[id]";
+							$columnList[] = "\"$ID\"";
+							$valueList[] = (int)$writeInfo['id'];
 						}
-						$fieldList = Database::replace_with_null($fieldList);
-						$sql = "insert into \"$table\" SET $fieldList";
+						$columnList = implode(", ", $columnList);
+						$valueList = implode(", ", $valueList);
+						$sql = "insert into \"$table\" ($columnList) VALUES ($valueList)";
 						$this->query($sql);
 						break;
 
diff --git a/core/model/MySQLDatabase.php b/core/model/MySQLDatabase.php
index 3e80b2ccb..4ba31d6e3 100644
--- a/core/model/MySQLDatabase.php
+++ b/core/model/MySQLDatabase.php
@@ -539,6 +539,74 @@ class MySQLDatabase extends Database {
 		
 		return 'varchar(' . $values['precision'] . ') character set utf8 collate utf8_general_ci';
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Returns true if the given table is exists in the current database 
+	 * NOTE: Experimental; introduced for db-abstraction and may changed before 2.4 is released.
+	 */
+	public function hasTable($table) {
+		$SQL_table = Convert::raw2sql($table);
+		return (bool)($this->query("SHOW TABLES LIKE '$SQL_table'")->value());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the values of the given enum field
+	 * NOTE: Experimental; introduced for db-abstraction and may changed before 2.4 is released.
+	 */
+	public function enumValuesForField($tableName, $fieldName) {
+		// Get the enum of all page types from the SiteTree table
+		$classnameinfo = DB::query("DESCRIBE \"$tableName\" \"$fieldName\"")->first();
+		preg_match_all("/'[^,]+'/", $classnameinfo["Type"], $matches);
+		
+		foreach($matches[0] as $value) {
+			$classes[] = trim($value, "'");
+		}
+		return $classes;
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Convert a SQLQuery object into a SQL statement
+	 */
+	public function sqlQueryToString(SQLQuery $sqlQuery) {
+		if (!$sqlQuery->from) return '';
+		$distinct = $sqlQuery->distinct ? "DISTINCT " : "";
+		if($sqlQuery->delete) {
+			$text = "DELETE ";
+		} else if($sqlQuery->select) {
+			$text = "SELECT $distinct" . implode(", ", $sqlQuery->select);
+		}
+		$text .= " FROM " . implode(" ", $sqlQuery->from);
+
+		if($sqlQuery->where) $text .= " WHERE (" . $sqlQuery->getFilter(). ")";
+		if($sqlQuery->groupby) $text .= " GROUP BY " . implode(", ", $sqlQuery->groupby);
+		if($sqlQuery->having) $text .= " HAVING ( " . implode(" ) AND ( ", $sqlQuery->having) . " )";
+		if($sqlQuery->orderby) $text .= " ORDER BY " . $sqlQuery->orderby;
+
+		if($sqlQuery->limit) {
+			$limit = $sqlQuery->limit;
+			// Pass limit as array or SQL string value
+			if(is_array($limit)) {
+				if(!array_key_exists('limit',$limit)) user_error('SQLQuery::limit(): Wrong format for $limit', E_USER_ERROR);
+
+				if(isset($limit['start']) && is_numeric($limit['start']) && isset($limit['limit']) && is_numeric($limit['limit'])) {
+					// @todo MySQL specific LIMIT syntax
+					//$combinedLimit = (int)$limit['start'] . ',' . (int)$limit['limit'];
+					$combinedLimit = "$limit[limit] OFFSET $limit[start]";
+				} elseif(isset($limit['limit']) && is_numeric($limit['limit'])) {
+					$combinedLimit = (int)$limit['limit'];
+				} else {
+					$combinedLimit = false;
+				}
+				if(!empty($combinedLimit)) $this->limit = $combinedLimit;
+
+			} else {
+				$text .= " LIMIT " . $sqlQuery->limit;
+			}
+		}
+		
+		return $text;
+	}
+	
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/model/SQLQuery.php b/core/model/SQLQuery.php
index 243d37d7b..3b870afa9 100755
--- a/core/model/SQLQuery.php
+++ b/core/model/SQLQuery.php
@@ -169,23 +169,7 @@ class SQLQuery extends Object {
 	 * @return SQLQuery This instance
 	 */
 	public function limit($limit) {
-		// Pass limit as array or SQL string value
-		if(is_array($limit)) {
-			if(!array_key_exists('limit',$limit)) user_error('SQLQuery::limit(): Wrong format for $limit', E_USER_ERROR);
-			
-			if(isset($limit['start']) && is_numeric($limit['start']) && isset($limit['limit']) && is_numeric($limit['limit'])) {
-				// @todo MySQL specific LIMIT syntax
-				$combinedLimit = (int)$limit['start'] . ',' . (int)$limit['limit'];
-			} elseif(isset($limit['limit']) && is_numeric($limit['limit'])) {
-				$combinedLimit = (int)$limit['limit'];
-			} else {
-				$combinedLimit = false;
-			}
-		} else {
-			$combinedLimit = $limit;
-		}
-		
-		if(!empty($combinedLimit)) $this->limit = $combinedLimit;
+		$this->limit = $limit;
 		
 		return $this;
 	}
@@ -392,22 +376,7 @@ class SQLQuery extends Object {
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	function sql() {
-		if (!$this->from) return '';
-		$distinct = $this->distinct ? "DISTINCT " : "";
-		if($this->delete) {
-			$text = "DELETE ";
-		} else if($this->select) {
-			$text = "SELECT $distinct" . implode(", ", $this->select);
-		}
-		$text .= " FROM " . implode(" ", $this->from);
-
-		if($this->where) $text .= " WHERE (" . $this->getFilter(). ")";
-		if($this->groupby) $text .= " GROUP BY " . implode(", ", $this->groupby);
-		if($this->having) $text .= " HAVING ( " . implode(" ) AND ( ", $this->having) . " )";
-		if($this->orderby) $text .= " ORDER BY " . $this->orderby;
-		if($this->limit) $text .= " LIMIT " . $this->limit;
-		
-		return $text;
+		return DB::getConn()->sqlQueryToString($this);
 	}
 	
 	/**