Practical PostgreSQL

Arguably the most capable of all the open source databases, PostgreSQL is an object-relational database management system first developed in 1977 by the University of California at Berkeley. In spite of its long history, this robust database suffers from a lack of easy-to-use documentation. Practical PostgreSQL fills that void with a fast-paced guide to installation, configuration, and usage.

This comprehensive new volume shows you how to compile PostgreSQL from source, create a database, and configure PostgreSQL to accept client-server connections. It also covers the many advanced features, such as transactions, versioning, replication, and referential integrity that enable developers and DBAs to use PostgreSQL for serious business applications. The thorough introduction to PostgreSQL's PL/pgSQL programming language explains how you can use this very useful but under-documented feature to develop stored procedures and triggers. The book includes a complete command reference, and database administrators will appreciate the chapters on user management, database maintenance, and backup & recovery. With Practical PostgreSQL, you will discover quickly why this open source database is such a great open source alternative to proprietary products from Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft.
Also included is a CD-ROM with Command Prompt's PostgreSQL Application
Server, LXP. The CD covers LXP version 0.8.0 and PostgreSQL version 7.1.3.

Table of Contents

Preface

PART 1: Introduction & Installation

Chapter 1. What Is PostgreSQL?
Chapter 2. Installing PostgreSQL

PART 2: Using PostgreSQL

Chapter 3. Understanding SQL
Chapter 4. Using SQL with PostgreSQL
Chapter 5. Operators and Functions
Chapter 6. PostgreSQL Clients
Chapter 7. Advanced Features

PART 3: Administrating PostgreSQL

Chapter 8. Authentication and Encryption
Chapter 9. Database Management

Chapter 10. User and Group Management


PART 4: PostgreSQL Programming

Chapter 11. PL/pgSQL
Chapter 12. JDBC
Chapter 13. LXP

 
PART 5: Command Reference

Chapter 14. PostgreSQL Command Reference


Appendix A. Multibyte Encoding Types

Appendix B. Backend Options for postgres

Appendix C. Binary COPY Format

Appendix D. Internal psql Variables

Index