Preface
PostgreSQL bills itself as the world’s most advanced open source database. We
couldn’t agree more.
What we hope to accomplish in this book is to give you a firm grounding in the
concepts and features that make PostgreSQL so impressive. Along the way, we
should convince you that PostgreSQL does indeed stand up to its claim to fame.
Because the database is advanced, no book short of the 3500 pages of documentation
can bring out all its glory. But then again, most users don’t need to delve into the
most abstruse features that PostgreSQL has to offer. So in our shorter 300-pager, we
hope to get you, as the subtitle proclaims, Up and Running.
Each topic is presented with some context so you understand when to use it and what
it offers. We assume you have prior experience with some other database so that we
can jump right to the key points of PostgreSQL. We generously litter the pages of
this book with links to references so you can dig deeper into topics of interest. These
links lead to sections in the manual, to helpful articles, to blog posts of PostgreSQL
vanguards. We also link to our own site at Postgres OnLine Journal, where we have
collected many pieces that we have written on PostgreSQL and its interoperability
with other applications.
This book focuses on PostgreSQL versions 9.5, 9.6, and 10, but we will cover some
unique and advanced features that are also present in prior versions.
Audience
For migrants from other database engines, we’ll point out parallels that PostgreSQL
shares with other leading products. Perhaps more importantly, we highlight feats you
can achieve with PostgreSQL that are difficult or impossible to do in other databases.
We stop short of teaching you SQL, as you’ll find many excellent sources for that.
SQL is much like chess—a few hours to learn, a lifetime to master. You have wisely
chosen PostgreSQL. You’ll be greatly rewarded.
If you’re currently a savvy PostgreSQL user or a weather-beaten DBA, much of the
material in this book should be familiar terrain, but you’ll be sure to pick up some
