PostgreSQL Server Programming

Take your skills with PostgreSQL to a whole new level with this fascinating guide to server programming. A step by step approach with illuminating examples will educate you in the full range of possibilities.

Understand the extension framework of PostgreSQL, and leverage it in ways that you haven't even invented yet.

• Write functions, create your own data types, all in your favourite programming language
• Step-by-step tutorial with plenty of tips and tricks to kick-start server programming.

In Detail

Learn how to work with PostgreSQL as if you spent the last decade working on it. PostgreSQL is capable of providing you with all of the options that you have in your favourite development language and then extending that right on to the database server. With this knowledge in hand, you will be able to respond to the current demand for advanced PostgreSQL skills in a lucrative and booming market.

"PostgreSQL Server Programming" will show you that PostgreSQL is so much more than a database server. In fact, it could even be seen as an application development framework, with the added bonuses of transaction support, massive data storage, journaling, recovery and a host of other features that the PostgreSQL engine provides.

This book will take you from learning the basic parts of a PostgreSQL function, then writing them in languages other than the built-in PL/PgSQL. You will see how to create libraries of useful code, group them into even more useful components, and distribute them to the community. You will see how to extract data from a multitude of foreign data sources, and then extend PostgreSQL to do it natively. And you can do all of this in a nifty debugging interface that will allow you to do it efficiently and with reliability.

What you will learn from this book

• Write functions in the built-in PL/PgSQL language or your language of choice
• Extract data from foreign data sources
• Add operators, data types, and other custom elements
• Debug and code efficiently
• Decide what machine resources your process will use
• Create your own data types, operators, functions, aggregates, and even your own language
• Fully integrate the database layer into your development

Approach

This practical guide leads you through numerous aspects of working with PostgreSQL. Step by step examples allow you to easily set up and extend PostgreSQL.

Who this book is written for

"PostgreSQL Server Programming" is for moderate to advanced PostgreSQL database professionals. To get the best understanding of this book, you should have general experience in writing SQL, a basic idea of query tuning, and some coding experience in a language of your choice

Hannu Krosing

Hannu Krosing was a PostgreSQL user before it was rewritten to use SQL as its main query language in 1995. So, he has both the historic perspective of its development and almost 20 years of experience using it for solving various real-life problems.

Hannu was the first Database Administrator and Database Architect at Skype, where he invented the sharding language PL/Proxy that allows scaling the user database to work with billions of users.

Since leaving Skype at the end of 2006—about a year after it was bought up by eBay—Hannu has been working as a PostgreSQL consultant with 2ndQuadrant, the premier PostgreSQL consultancy with global reach and local presence in most of the world.

Hannu has co-authored another Packt Publishing book, PostgreSQL 9 Administration Cookbook, together with one of the main PostgreSQL developers, Simon Riggs.

Kirk Roybal

Kirk Roybal has been active in the PostgreSQL community since 1998. He has helped to organize user groups in Houston, Dallas, and Bloomington, IL. He has mentored many junior database administrators and provided cross training for senior database engineers. He has provided solutions using PostgreSQL for reporting, business intelligence, data warehousing, applications, and development support.

Kirk saw the value of PostgreSQL when the first small business customer asked for a web application. At the time, competitive database products were either extremely immature, or cost prohibitive. Kirk has stood by the choice of PostgreSQL for many years now. His expertise is founded on keeping up with features and capabilities as they have become available.

Jim Mlodgenski

Jim Mlodgenski is the CTO of OpenSCG, a professional services company focused on leveraging open source technologies for strategic advantage. He was formerly the CEO of StormDB, a database cloud company focused on horizontal scalability. Prior to StormDB, Jim held deeply technical roles at Cirrus Technology, Inc., EnterpriseDB, and Fusion Technologies.

Jim is also a fervent advocate of PostgreSQL. He is a member of the board of the United States PostgreSQL Association, as well as being a part of the organizing teams of the New York PostgreSQL User Group and Philadelphia PostgreSQL User Groups.