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Documentation → PostgreSQL 6.5

Unsupported versions: 7.0 / 6.5 / 6.4

Historical version. PostgreSQL 6.5 reached end of support in June 2004. See the current manual for supported releases.

PostgreSQL

The PostgreSQL Development Team

Edited by

Thomas Lockhart

PostgreSQL is Copyright © 1996-9 by the Postgres Global Development Group.

Table of Contents

I. User's Guide

1. Introduction

What is Postgres?
A Short History of Postgres
About This Release
Resources
Terminology
Notation
Y2K Statement
Copyrights and Trademarks

2. SQL Syntax

Key Words
Expressions

3. Data Types

Numeric Types
Monetary Type
Character Types
Date/Time Types
Boolean Type
Geometric Types
IP Version 4 Networks and Host Addresses

4. Operators

Lexical Precedence
General Operators
Numerical Operators
Geometric Operators
Time Interval Operators
IP V4 CIDR Operators
IP V4 INET Operators

5. Functions

SQL Functions
Mathematical Functions
String Functions
Date/Time Functions
Geometric Functions
IP V4 Functions

6. Type Conversion

Overview
Operators
Functions
Query Targets
UNION Queries

7. Indices and Keys

9. Inheritance

10. Multi-Version Concurrency Control

Introduction
Transaction Isolation
Read Committed Isolation Level
Serializable Isolation Level
Locking and Tables
Locking and Indices
Data consistency checks at the application level

11. Setting Up Your Environment

12. Managing a Database

Database Creation
Alternate Database Locations
Accessing a Database
Destroying a Database

13. Disk Storage

14. SQL Commands

15. Applications

createdb
createuser
destroydb
destroyuser
initdb
initlocation
pgaccess
pgadmin
pg_dump
pg_dumpall
postgres
postmaster
psql
vacuumdb

II. Administrator's Guide

Currently Supported Platforms
Unsupported Platforms

17. Configuration Options

Parameters for Configuration (configure)
Parameters for Building (make)
Locale Support
Kerberos Authentication

18. System Layout

19. Installation

Requirements to Run Postgres
Installation Procedure
Playing with Postgres
The Next Step
Porting Notes

20. Installation on Win32

Building the libraries
Installing the libraries
Using the libraries

21. Runtime Environment

Using Postgres from Unix
Starting postmaster
Using pg_options

22. Security

User Authentication
User Names and Groups
Access Control
Functions and Rules

23. Adding and Deleting Users

24. Disk Management

Alternate Locations

25. Managing a Database

Creating a Database
Accessing a Database
Destroying a Database
Backup and Restore

26. Troubleshooting

Postmaster Startup Failures
Client Connection Problems
Debugging Messages

27. Database Recovery

28. Regression Test

Regression Environment
Directory Layout
Regression Test Procedure
Regression Analysis

29. Release Notes

Release 6.5.1
Release 6.5
Release 6.4.2
Release 6.4.1
Release 6.4
Release 6.3.2
Release 6.3.1
Release 6.3
Release 6.2.1
Release 6.2
Release 6.1.1
Release 6.1
Release v6.0
Release v1.09
Release v1.02
Release v1.01
Release v1.0
Postgres95 Beta 0.03
Postgres95 Beta 0.02
Postgres95 Beta 0.01
Timing Results

III. Programmer's Guide

30. Architecture

Postgres Architectural Concepts

31. Extending SQL: An Overview

How Extensibility Works
The Postgres Type System
About the Postgres System Catalogs

32. Extending SQL: Functions

Query Language (SQL) Functions
Programming Language Functions

33. Extending SQL: Types

User-Defined Types

34. Extending SQL: Operators

Operator Optimization Information

35. Extending SQL: Aggregates

36. The Postgres Rule System

What is a Querytree?
Views and the Rule System
Rules on INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE
Rules and Permissions
Rules versus Triggers

37. Interfacing Extensions To Indices

38. GiST Indices

39. Linking Dynamically-Loaded Functions

ULTRIX
DEC OSF/1
SunOS 4.x, Solaris 2.x and HP-UX

40. Triggers

Trigger Creation
Interaction with the Trigger Manager
Visibility of Data Changes
Examples

41. Server Programming Interface

Interface Functions
Interface Support Functions
Memory Management
Visibility of Data Changes
Examples

42. Procedural Languages

Installing Procedural Languages
PL/pgSQL
PL/Tcl

IV. Interfaces

43. Functions

44. Large Objects

Historical Note
Inversion Large Objects
Large Object Interfaces
Built in registered functions
Accessing Large Objects from LIBPQ
Sample Program

45. ecpg - Embedded SQL in C

Why Embedded SQL?
The Concept
How To Use egpc
Limitations
Porting From Other RDBMS Packages
Installation
For the Developer

Database Connection Functions
Query Execution Functions
Asynchronous Query Processing
Fast Path
Asynchronous Notification
Functions Associated with the COPY Command
libpq Tracing Functions
libpq Control Functions
User Authentication Functions
Environment Variables
Caveats
Sample Programs

47. libpq C++ Binding

Control and Initialization
libpq++ Classes
Database Connection Functions
Query Execution Functions
Asynchronous Notification
Functions Associated with the COPY Command
Caveats

Commands
Examples
pgtcl Command Reference Information

49. ODBC Interface

Background
Windows Applications
Unix Installation
Configuration Files
ApplixWare

50. JDBC Interface

Building the JDBC Interface
Preparing the Database for JDBC
Using the Driver
Importing JDBC
Loading the Driver
Connecting to the Database
Issuing a Query and Processing the Result
Performing Updates
Closing the Connection
Using Large Objects
Postgres Extensions to the JDBC API
Further Reading

V. Developer's Guide

51. Overview of PostgreSQL Internals

The Path of a Query
How Connections are Established
The Parser Stage
The Postgres Rule System
Planner/Optimizer
Executor

52. pg_options

53. Genetic Query Optimization in Database Systems

Query Handling as a Complex Optimization Problem
Genetic Algorithms (GA)
Genetic Query Optimization (GEQO) in Postgres
Future Implementation Tasks for Postgres GEQO

54. Frontend/Backend Protocol

Overview
Protocol
Message Data Types
Message Formats

55. Postgres Signals

56. gcc Default Optimizations

57. Backend Interface

BKI File Format
General Commands
Macro Commands
Debugging Commands
Example

58. Page Files

Page Structure
Files
Bugs

VI. Tutorial

59. SQL

The Relational Data Model
Relational Data Model Formalities
Operations in the Relational Data Model
The SQL Language

60. Architecture

Postgres Architectural Concepts

61. Getting Started

Setting Up Your Environment
Starting the Interactive Monitor (psql)
Managing a Database

62. The Query Language

Interactive Monitor
Concepts
Creating a New Class
Populating a Class with Instances
Querying a Class
Redirecting SELECT Queries
Joins Between Classes
Updates
Deletions
Using Aggregate Functions

63. Advanced Postgres SQL Features

Inheritance
Non-Atomic Values
Time Travel
More Advanced Features

VII. Appendices

UG1. Date/Time Support

Time Zones
History

DG1. The CVS Repository

CVS Tree Organization
Getting The Source Via Anonymous CVS
Getting The Source Via CVSup

DG2. Documentation

Documentation Roadmap
The Documentation Project
Documentation Sources
Building Documentation
Manpages
Hardcopy Generation for v6.5
Toolsets
Alternate Toolsets

Bibliography

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