Recommended books about PostgreSQL

SQL is the language of databases. It's used to create and maintain database objects, place data into those objects, query the data, modify the data, and, finally, delete data that is no longer needed. Databases lie at the heart of many, if not most business applications. Chances are very good that if you're involved with software development, you're using SQL to some degree. And if you're using SQL, you should own a good reference or two.

Now available in an updated second edition, our very popular "SQL Pocket Guide" is a major help to programmers, database administrators, and everyone who uses SQL in their day-to-day work. The "SQL Pocket Guide" is a concise reference to frequently used SQL statements and commonly used SQL functions. Not just an endless collection of syntax diagrams, this portable guide addresses the language's complexity head on and leads by example. The information in this edition has been updated to reflect the latest versions of the most commonly used SQL variants including:

Oracle Database 10g, Release 2 (including

the free Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (XE))

Microsoft SQL Server 2005

MySQL 5

IBM DB2 8.2

PostreSQL 8.1 database

"SQL Pocket Guide - 2nd Edition" is a short reference book for SQL DML (Data Manipulation Language), transaction control statements, datatypes, datatype conversion, table creation, and table modification. As the title indicates, this book is a "Pocket Guide" for the 4 major database platforms (Oracle, MS SQL Server, MySQL, and DB2). DO NOT EXPECT this book to be a complete reference or learning guide. Like most pocket guides, only people that already know the topic will find this text most useful. I own BOTH the 1st & 2nd editions. Due to my extensive use of the 1st edition, I purchased the 2nd edition released in 2006. This is the single most used book in my library! In fact, it is never on the book shelf! It's on my desk, in my bag, and travels with me on location. I work on a variety of database platforms with the 2 biggies being MS SQL Server & Oracle. I know the language, but at times can forget the exact syntax needed for the platform I'm working with. This book provides me with an extremely efficient way to "refresh" my memory and because it covers the 4 major platforms, I'm usually covered with this ONE small book.

The layout of the 2nd edition has been reorganized alphabetically by keyword and now covers: Oracle 10g including Oracle Express Ed, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, IBM DB2 release 8.2, MySQL 5.0, and PostgreSQL 8.1. As the layout of the 2nd edition has dramatically changed since the 1st edition and is now organized alphabetically by keyword (the keyword represented on each page is listed at the bottom of the page), you can quickly find the page you're looking for by flipping through the book and looking at the bottom right corner of the page. This is MUCH MUCH easier and faster! The new edition still has a very good Index, if you can't find what you're looking for on a flip-through pass.

Also new in the 2nd ed. is an extensive listing of datatypes, datatype conversions, and syntax variation for table creation and modification. This was a complaint in other reviews specific to the 1st ed., as missing. NOT SO in the new 2nd edition! PLEASE CHECK THE DATE OF THE REVIEW YOU'RE READING to ensure it pertains to the 2nd edition.

I was so impressed with this book... I actually bought TWO copies of the 2nd edition -- one for me and one for a co-worker -- AND passed my 1st edition on to another co-worker. For those "Now, how do I write that..." moments, this book can save you HOURS! I also like seeing the different examples and sample result sets for the different platforms. If the book doesn't cover what I'm looking for, I can always go to a more extensive reference book.

A comprehensive and detailed SQL reference with sample code and result sets to make the content clear. An excellent pocket guide to take anywhere.

this pocket book is useful in that it touches on command sets from mysql, sql server, and also oracle. this cross platform approach is helpful when learning sql, or if one was to switch from one enterprise level system to the next. this mini book was shipped out in a timely fashion. i can say that the reference available in this book was well worth the moderate expense, as well as the shipping time.

I'm writing a review because of how impressed I've become with this over time. I have several SQL references and this gets used by far the most. I'm a big O'Reilly fan and I think I bought this title in addition to the Nutshell book because it was cheap and I also wanted multiple SQL reference books so I could have some at home as well as the office.

I at first assumed that the Pocket guide would be inferior to the Nutshell book but I've found the reverse to be true for me. The strengths of this book are passages are always straight to the point, with tons of examples, and ALWAYS is very clear on relevant differences between different flavors of SQL (DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, & MySQL) without any blah blah blah.

For knuckleheads who have worked in so many languages that they can't remember any syntax anymore, and who prefer a good terse example to a big syntax tree, this reference is highly recommended.

I love this little book since I work with many RDBMs and need use different syntaxes to accomplish the same thing. That's what this reference is good for - to remind you of material that you've forgotten.

The second edition of the best-selling PostgreSQL has been updated to completely cover new features and capabilities of the 8.0 version of PostgreSQL. You will be lead through the internals of the powerful PostgreSQL open source database chapter, offering an easy-to-read, code-based approach that makes it easy to understand how each feature is implemented, how to best use each feature, and how to get more performance from database applications. This definitive guide to building, programming and administering the powerful PostgreSQL open-source database system will help you harness one of the most widely used open source, enterprise-level database systems.

As a developer with many years IT experience in control systems and only a little in databases and none with Postgres, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It covered a huge amount of topics with examples and put them together in a way that made it more efficient than googling!

It helped that I knew what topics I needed in looking for answers but the chapters were self explantory in the topics they covered which I believe would allow a beginner to make quick progress in learning Postgres.

Cavaet: If you are after a book to learn SQL and database design (normal forms) you will be disappointed, this book is not for you.

I am a database application developer with MS SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and many other RDBMSs experience.
This book allowed me to start working on PostgreSQL immediately.
Pro: comprehensive, good examples, good supplement to the documentation.
Cons: is not deep enough for me (does not explain format of a transaction log file or WAL file, for example), but, I guess, I should read the PostgreSQL code for this.
If you are new to databases you would need to read some other books first.

I'm upset that this book that I've been trusting for the past month or two has such an egregious error in its discussion of regular expressions on page 51. I wish the authors had left out any discussion of regexes if they weren't going to actually test their assumptions about a topic on which I assume they know little. :-(

PostgreSQL 2nd Edition is a phenomenal book if you're a programmer, and a great book if you're a non-programming admin. As someone whose programming ability reaches only ever so slightly beyond bash scripting and WSH, the parts of this book that were really worthwhile to me were those devoted to the administration of PostgreSQL. Backing up, recovering, and performance tuning were excellent resources, especially to someone who had never set up or administered a database. Speaking of which, the very beginning of the book, covering what exactly a database is, terminology, and setting up and creating schema were invaluable. To have all the information in PostgreSQL 2nd Edition consolidated in this one book makes it a must-have for any admin's bookshelf. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars from me was because I'm not a programmer, and I couldn't take away every single ounce this great resource had to offer.

This book lives up to it's claims for "the comprehensive guide to building, programming and administering postgresql databases". I'm a MySQL guy, but may have to do a little pgsql to support a third party app, so I was looking for a book that would bring me up to speed.

The quick review is this... I give this book 3 stars, because it's so huge and covers so much territory that, in my opinion, it does a middling job of it. I would have preferred a more focussed book. I think, given it's goal of being so comprehensive, it is about as good as it could be and if you really need to know everything - from sql, to developing extensions, to embedding this in your c/c++ programs and administering things AND want a single book that covers it this is probably the book for you. If you don't need quite that much, or are willing to go to more than one book to get it, I think you would be better served to look elsewhere.

The longer review...

Honestly, I don't know why books on databases almost invariably are terribly dry reads, but this book, following the odds, falls into that category. It's a hefty tome weighing in at about 1000 pages divided into 3 sections.

The first category, about a quarter of the book, is an introduction to sql and postgresql in particular. It does quite a nice job of introducing your standard sql commands, datatypes and basic administrative commands (like creating tables and the like). This part goes from basic to fairly advanced, covering topics like outer joins and creating new datatypes. I suspect it'll be review for those familiar with sql but reasonably usable for those delving into sql, even if they don't immediately understand all of the more advanced concepts.

The section ends with a chapter on performance, something I was particularly interested in given postgresql's reputation. Here the authors talk about standard performancy things like indexes, using various tools to figure out what a particular query is actually doing, all worthwhile. But they never go into any detail about the performance implications of using some of the more advanced postgresql features like composite types and table inheritance. I was quite disappointed to find not even a whisper of this type of information in the book.

The second section, about half the book covers programming with postgresql. This is a very broad chapter - covering many aspects of what it means to program this database. From server side programming using PL/pgSQL to extending the database with custom functions and types. They discuss creating clients in c, c++, java, perl, php, tcl, python and .net. Each one of these languages gets a chapter about 30-50 pages long where they go over the basics of how that language typically connects to the database and then goes through a process of creating a basic client and refining over the course of 4 or 5 iterations to become more and more robust and full featured. This is the bulk of the book and because it's so wide spread, I think most people will only be interested in one or two of these chapters - the rest of which will probably be uninteresting.

The last section is the final quarter of the book where they go over the administrative requirements of the database. They admirably try to direct people to download and compile their own binaries, but cover installation from binary on unix and windows. They have an excellent reference on the things you can tweak to configure the runtime environment. They also cover backing up the database, replication, internationalization and security. Although they mention performance optimization in the intro to the section, they don't actually discuss it anywhere in the section.

So, to sum up. If you really need to know about all aspects of pgsql and are looking for a one stop shop, this book is - I think - as good as you're going to find. But if you're looking into only a particular aspect (developing, administereing, etc..) or don't mind going to more than one, I feel confident that there's other books out there that will cover those topics in better detail.

PostgreSQL is arguably the most powerful open-source relational database system. It has grown from academic research beginnings into a functionally-rich, standards-compliant, and enterprise-ready database used by organizations all over the world. And it's completely free to use.

Beginning Databases with PostgreSQL offers readers a thorough overview of database basics, starting with an explanation of why you might need to use a database, and following with a summary of what different database types have to offer when compared to alternatives like spreadsheets. You'll also learn all about relational database design topics such as the SQL query language, and introduce core principles including normalization and referential integrity.

The book continues with a complete tutorial on PostgreSQL features and functions and include information on database construction and administration. Key features such as transactions, stored procedures and triggers are covered, along with many of the capabilities new to version 8. To help you get started quickly, step-by-step instructions on installing PostgreSQL on Windows and Linux/UNIX systems are included.

In the remainder of the book we show you how to make the most of PostgreSQL features in your own applications using a wide range of programming languages, including C, Perl, PHP, Java and C#. Many example programs are presented in the book, and all are available for download from the Apress web site.

By the end of the book you will be able to install, use, and effectively manage a PostgreSQL server, design and implement a database, and create and deploy your own database applications.

This book would be better labeled "Beginning Databases with Postgresql - From Novice to Amateur with a few Provisos."

This book is good for getting you to the stage where you have some basic confidence in using PostgreSQL (an excellent database). Do NOT expect to be able to learn what it is you are learning Postgres for without a great deal of googling, hanging out on the #postgresql irc channel (hint: type | and topic, VERY useful), searching the mailing list archives, reading the online documentation (which is very useful), and of course, liberal use of \? and \h in psql.

After you have some basic familiarity with Postgres you will still use Matthew and Stones from time to time, looking up syntax etc. For that it is useful.

One of the most annoying things is that it promotes bad database design through the "bpsimple" and "bpfinal" sample databases. Anyone using such a database would be constantly having to clean out garbage data in their database. Take for example their customer table. Their only unique constraint is the primary key, customer_id. If they don't have either a multiple column primary key or some other unique constraint, they will constantly be getting duplicate customers.

At least when I was learning MS Access the books I used taught me good principles such that I am not having to deal with duplicate values years later.

Unfortunately due to the dearth of Postgresql books this is still one of the better offerings. I would give it 3 stars if there was more competition.

I really wanted to like this book, but, unfortunately, after the first 100 pages, can't endorse it at all. I'm a "poweruser" of MSAccess and a general fan of databases in general. I have read enough books on SQL and know enough about database theory and implementations to know disorganized and poorly introduced subject matter when I read it. This book suffers from what a lot of database books suffer from, a smattering of this concept and that concept, mixing in a little SQL syntax with database schema design with a little snippet on good table design then off to the multi-user access features of PostgreSQL.... whoa Nelly! Sadly, the authors try to be too many things to too many audiences and the result is a mess. Understandably, the subject of databases (from theory, to implementation, to end user) is huge, writing a book to cover it all is a daunting task, and this one fails like the many that have gone before it. My apologies for not providing a list of other books I feel succeed, but time doesn't permit.

I ordered this book because amazon.com bundled it with | Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL 8 |. I must admit I was happily surprised. It's definitely more than a copy of the PostgreSQL manual. Explanations are simple to understand.

There's a chapter on database design, something really important to me.

Something that surprises me too is the big part on languages. The PostgreSQL manual focused on C with libpq and there's not much on other languages. This book brings a lot of informations with PHP, Perl, Java, C#.

This book also brings informations on new PostgreSQL 8 functionnalities (tablespace, $$ quoting). Unfortunately, there's nothing on release 8.1 (CREATE ROLE for example).

Finally, a great book to begin with, a reference for the rest of us.

This book teaches a huge amount of information on building PostgreSQL databases. It teaches some theory/history behind many features and can be read straight-through unlike other books I have tried for learning SQL. I am learning about the capabilities/concepts much of Databases more then I have with other beginner books I have read, with none of the try our 5 examples BS to figure out what we are trying to explain...

It also introduces many more advanced ideas and does not hesitate to recommend resources (including free ones) for learning more while it goes on to the next concept.

Definitely recommend if you have no-beginner knowledge of Databases and want a thorough introduction that will give you a sound basis for making a database application.

This book will get you started quickly and painlessly, regardless of your previous experience with other SQL engines.

For complete beginners there is a short but sound chapter on general database design. If you are migrating from "some other open source relational database system", this book will teach you the basic peculiarities of PostgreSQL and get your server up and running in the shortest possible time.

This book is not a "complete refence", nor does it pretend to be. And that's fine. After you've got a basic overview, you can get the rest referring to the online documentation.

P.S. There is a syntax reference in the end of the book, of course :).

Whether you're running Access, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL, this book will help you push the limits of traditional SQL to squeeze data effectively from your database. The book offers 100 hacks -- unique tips and tools -- that bring you the knowledge of experts who apply what they know in the real world to help you take full advantage of the expressive power of SQL. You'll find practical techniques to address complex data manipulation problems. Learn how to:

• Wrangle data in the most efficient way possible
• Aggregate and organize your data for meaningful and accurate reporting
• Make the most of subqueries, joins, and unions
• Stay on top of the performance of your queries and the server that runs them
• Avoid common SQL security pitfalls, including the dreaded SQL injection attack

Let SQL Hacks serve as your toolbox for digging up and manipulating data. If you love to tinker and optimize, SQL is the perfect technology and SQL Hacks is the must-have book for you.

Provide tips on overcoming most common issues in SQL.

I haven't found the book to be extremely useful, but it was a good read, with a few "that's another good way to do that" moments. It did get me interested in researching other topics I wasn't familiar with, bonus. If you work with SQL regularly you'll know a lot of this stuff. It is a fun easy read.

These hacks aren't for the beginning user, but for more advanced users. The authors explain the hacks, which can be written for any of a number of different databases, but then they explain necessary changes to allow a user of a differing db product to use the hacks as well.

MySQL, SQL Server, Postgres, Oracle among the ones covered.

If you are looking to make a step up from a decent database user to a very good one, this is a book for you.

This book is a collection of 100 different hacks, ranging from the simple to the complex. Each hack involves a specific problem that you may have already seen before, but perhaps tackled in a way you wouldn't have considered. Where it is impossible to phrase a statement that is acceptable to all of MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and PostgreSQL, a form is used that is acceptable to at least two of the four. As MySQL is a relative newcomer, its designers have been able to build in compatibility with many of its competitors. For that reason, MySQL is usually one of the two systems that will accept the statement unchanged. That explains why most of the examples use the MySQL command-line utility. The MySQL examples are based around the version 5.0 release. However, many examples will work with the 4.2 release. Note that some hacks involve features such as referential integrity and transaction isolation, and these are implemented only for InnoDB tables and not for MyISAM tables.

The examples also work for Microsoft SQL Server 2005. The SQL Server 2000 version is good enough for all but those examples that use the RANK( ) function. PostgreSQL and Oracle users should have no problem using this book, and most of the hacks will run unchanged on both systems. Oracle has many so additional features that optimizations are not mentioned. There is also plenty here for Access users, but none of the required variations are mentioned for that database. The following is the table of contents:

Chapter 1, SQL Fundamentals - This is a gentle introduction to running SQL from the command line and programs. It also touches on simple SQL constructs. Even if you are already comfortable with SQL, you may find the flexibility of the SQL shown to be surprising and instructive.
Hack 1. Run SQL from the Command Line
Hack 2. Connect to SQL from a Program
Hack 3. Perform Conditional INSERTs
Hack 4. UPDATE the Database
Hack 5. Solve a Crossword Puzzle Using SQL
Hack 6. Don't Perform the Same Calculation Over and Over

Chapter 2, Joins, Unions, and Views - The hacks in this chapter concentrate on ways to use more than one table in your SQL. Different strategies are examined and discussed. If you find yourself using subqueries more than JOIN, you may also find the methods for converting subqueries to JOINs helpful.
Hack 7. Modify a Schema Without Breaking Existing Queries
Hack 8. Filter Rows and Columns
Hack 9. Filter on Indexed Columns
Hack 10. Convert Subqueries to JOINs
Hack 11. Convert Aggregate Subqueries to JOINs
Hack 12. Simplify Complicated Updates
Hack 13. Choose the Right Join Style for Your Relationships
Hack 14. Generate Combinations

Chapter 3, Text Handling - This chapter contains a number of hacks focused on efficient and effective text querying.
Hack 15. Search for Keywords Without LIKE
Hack 16. Search for a String Across Columns
Hack 17. Solve Anagrams
Hack 18. Sort Your Email

Chapter 4, Date Handling - Suppose you want to calculate the second Tuesday of each month, or look for trends based on the day of the week. Both calculations are discussed, as well as other hacks involving date processing and report generation techniques.
Hack 19. Convert Strings to Dates
Hack 20. Uncover Trends in Your Data
Hack 21. Report on Any Date Criteria
Hack 22. Generate Quarterly Reports
Hack 23. Second Tuesday of the Month

Chapter 5, Number Crunching - This chapter contains a host of hacks for handling numbers, from report generation to complex spatial calculations. This was my favorite chapter.
Hack 24. Multiply Across a Result Set
Hack 25. Keep a Running Total
Hack 26. Include the Rows Your JOIN Forgot
Hack 27. Identify Overlapping Ranges
Hack 28. Avoid Dividing by Zero
Hack 29. Other Ways to COUNT
Hack 30. Calculate the Maximum of Two Fields
Hack 31. Disaggregate a COUNT
Hack 32. Cope with Rounding Errors
Hack 33. Get Values and Subtotals in One Shot
Hack 34. Calculate the Median
Hack 35. Tally Results into a Chart
Hack 36. Calculate the Distance Between GPS Locations
Hack 37. Reconcile Invoices and Remittances
Hack 38. Find Transposition Errors
Hack 39. Apply a Progressive Tax
Hack 40. Calculate Rank

Chapter 6, Online Applications - Databases can help drive web sites, be directly controlled from a browser, and help close the gap between client and data. This chapter looks at a variety of hacks for using database systems in web-based activities.
Hack 41. Copy Web Pages into a Table
Hack 42. Present Data Graphically Using SVG
Hack 43. Add Navigation Features to Web Applications
Hack 44. Tunnel into MySQL from Microsoft Access
Hack 45. Process Web Server Logs
Hack 46. Store Images in a Database
Hack 47. Exploit an SQL Injection Vulnerability
Hack 48. Prevent an SQL Injection Attack

Chapter 7, Organizing Data - Hacks in this chapter are concerned with how data can be represented in a database, how data can be managed as it is stored and retrieved, and how errors in information can be detected, managed, and repaired.
Hack 49. Keep Track of Infrequently Changing Values
Hack 50. Combine Tables Containing Different Data
Hack 51. Display Rows As Columns
Hack 52. Display Columns As Rows
Hack 53. Clean Inconsistent Records
Hack 54. Denormalize Your Tables
Hack 55. Import Someone Else's Data
Hack 56. Play Matchmaker
Hack 57. Generate Unique Sequential Numbers

Chapter 8, Storing Small Amounts of Data - It is useful to parameterize queries using variables, treating the queries as functions and plugging in variables as needed. You can use standard SQL to provide parameterization, including variable scoping on a per-user or per-application basis. This chapter also looks at queries without tables, and support for inline tables.
Hack 58. Store Parameters in the Database
Hack 59. Define Personalized Parameters
Hack 60. Create a List of Personalized Parameters
Hack 61. Set Security Based on Rows
Hack 62. Issue Queries Without Using a Table
Hack 63. Generate Rows Without Tables

Chapter 9, Locking and Performance - This chapter examines some common issues, and presents a number of hacks on isolation levels, locking, query partitioning, and result set management, all aimed at improving query performance and minimizing delays.
Hack 64. Determine Your Isolation Level
Hack 65. Use Pessimistic Locking
Hack 66. Use Optimistic Locking
Hack 67. Lock Implicitly Within Transactions
Hack 68. Cope with Unexpected Redo
Hack 69. Execute Functions in the Database
Hack 70. Combine Your Queries
Hack 71. Extract Lots of Rows
Hack 72. Extract a Subset of the Results
Hack 73. Mix File and Database Storage
Hack 74. Compare and Synchronize Tables
Hack 75. Minimize Bandwidth in One-to-Many Joins
Hack 76. Compress to Avoid LOBs

Chapter 10, Reporting - SQL queries for report generation require a different approach than those used for real-time querying. This can allow you to trade query performance for readability and maintainability. This chapter includes a number of hacks for summarizing, processing, and analyzing report data.
Hack 77. Fill in Missing Values in a Pivot Table
Hack 78. Break It Down by Range
Hack 79. Identify Updates Uniquely
Hack 80. Play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Hack 81. Build Decision Tables
Hack 82. Generate Sequential or Missing Data
Hack 83. Find the Top n in Each Group
Hack 84. Store Comma-Delimited Lists in a Column
Hack 85. Traverse a Simple Tree
Hack 86. Set Up Queuing in the Database
Hack 87. Generate a Calendar
Hack 88. Test Two Values from a Subquery
Hack 89. Choose Any Three of Five

Chapter 11, Users and Administration - This chapter presents a few useful hacks on user management, both in your applications and in your database systems. It also looks at the common pitfalls in packaging a database-enabled application for easy installation.
Hack 90. Implement Application-Level Accounts
Hack 91. Export and Import Table Definitions
Hack 92. Deploy Applications
Hack 93. Auto-Create Database Users
Hack 94. Create Users and Administrators
Hack 95. Issue Automatic Updates
Hack 96. Create an Audit Trail

Chapter 12, Wider Access - This chapter look at how to manage a diverse range of users who have SQL-level access to your databases.
Hack 97. Allow an Anonymous Account
Hack 98. Find and Stop Long-Running Queries
Hack 99. Don't Run Out of Disk Space
Hack 100. Run SQL from a Web Page

It is assumed that the reader is already familiar with database theory and their own particular flavor of SQL and just needs some "recipes" to get their job done. If you fall into this category, this book will make a fine addition to your reference books.

This manual is volume 3 of the official reference documentation for PostgreSQL 8.2.4. This volume is the system administration guide, and covers the installation, configuration and maintenance of PostgreSQL database servers. Topics covered include backups, security, tuning and upgrade procedures, as well as routine tasks such as creating and deleting databases. Later chapters provide a detailed explanation of advanced PostgreSQL features, including file-based and record-based log-shipping, continuous archiving and point-in-time recovery. This book is part of a series including volume 1, the "SQL Language Reference" (ISBN 0954612027), and volume 2, the "Programming Guide" (ISBN 0954612035). For each copy of this manual sold $1 will be donated to the PostgreSQL project by the publisher.

This manual is volume 2 of the official reference documentation for PostgreSQL 8.2.4. This volume documents the client and server interfaces to PostgreSQL: the C/C++ interface libpq, the embedded SQL/C compiler ECPG and the server-side languages PL/pgSQL, PL/Tcl, PL/Perl and PL/Python. Each chapter includes reference documentation and examples. In particular, the use of triggers, rules and views is described in detail. The PL/pgSQL chapter also includes a guide to porting Oracle PL/SQL functions to PostgreSQL. This book is part of a series including volume 1, the "SQL Language Reference" (ISBN 0954612027), and volume 3, the "Server Administration Guide" (ISBN 0954612043). For each copy of this manual sold $1 will be donated to the PostgreSQL project by the publisher.

There is nothing in this book or the entire series that is not part of the documentation distributed for free with postgresql! So unless having a physical book instead of HTML on your local disk is worth $23 / book to you do not buy this book or any others in the series. I am rather ticked at the publisher and at Amazon for not making it clear that there is no additional information in these volumes.

This manual is volume 1 of the official reference documentation for PostgreSQL 8.2.4. The PostgreSQL commands and their syntax are described in this volume. The book begins with a specification of the SQL language, as implemented by PostgreSQL, covering syntax, data types, functions and operators. This is followed by detailed documentation for every PostgreSQL command (over 100 of them) from ABORT to VALUES, with a precise usage synopsis, description, annotated parameter list and examples. Important commands such as SELECT and GRANT receive extended coverage. Additional sections document the use of indexes, transactions and the PostgreSQL client and server command-line tools. This volume is part of a series including volume 2, the "Programming Guide" (ISBN 0954612035), and volume 3, the "Server Administration Guide" (ISBN 0954612043). For each copy of this manual sold $1 will be donated to the PostgreSQL project by the publisher.

The easiest way to set up a PostgreSQL database server on Windows

Get up-and-running on PostgreSQL quickly using this hands-on guide. Filled with real-world examples, PostgreSQL 8 for Windows offers you practical, step-by-step details on installing, configuring, and using PostgreSQL 8--the full-featured, open-source database management system--on Windows platforms. You'll learn to administer, secure, and tune your database and use SQL. You'll also discover how to interface Microsoft Access, Microsoft .NET, Visual C++, and Java with the PostgreSQL database.

• Install and configure PostgreSQL 8 on Windows
• Customize your system using the configuration files
• Work with the utilities
• Administer your database from the pgAdmin III graphical interface
• Use the psql command line program to manually execute SQL commands
• Take advantage of built-in functions or create your own stored procedures and triggers
• Implement tested security measures
• Maintain optimal database performance
• Access a PostgreSQL database from a Microsoft Access application and migrate Access databases to PostgreSQL
• Create .NET, Visual C++, and Java applications that interface with your PostgreSQL server

I was interested in learning a bit about PostgreSQL, and coming from a SQL Server background on Windows systems, this seemed like a good place to start (I will pick up some more Linux knowledge another day). The book provides a good overview of components and processes, and for someone with experience in other database platforms, the material makes a good bridge.

It will probably not provide much new information to a PostgreSQL "expert", but that is not likely the intended audience. Basic admin topics are covered , as well as some development examples in MS Access, .NET, C++, and Java.

A highlight for me was the discovery of some SQL methods in PostgreSQL that were only supported in the latest release of MS SQL Server, and a few that still are not.

For programmers, analysts, and database administrators, SQL in a Nutshell is the essential reference for the SQL language used in today's most popular database products. This new edition clearly documents every SQL command according to the latest ANSI standard, and details how those commands are implemented in Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Oracle 11g, and the MySQL 5.1 and PostgreSQL 8.3 open source database products. You'll also get a concise overview of the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) model, and a clear-cut explanation of foundational RDBMS concepts -- all packed into a succinct, comprehensive, and easy-to-use format. This book provides:

• Background on the Relational Database Model, including current and previous SQL standards
• Fundamental concepts necessary for understanding relational databases and SQL commands
• An alphabetical command reference to SQL statements, according to the SQL2003 ANSI standard
• The implementation of each command by MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server
• An alphabetical reference of the ANSI SQL2003 functions, as well as the vendor implementations
• Platform-specific functions unique to each implementation

Beginning where vendor documentation ends, SQL in a Nutshell distills the experiences of professional database administrators and developers who have used SQL variants to support complex enterprise applications. Whether SQL is new to you, or you've been using SQL since its earliest days, you'll get lots of new tips and techniques in this book.

SQL in a Nutshell applies the classic O'Reilly "Nutshell" format to Structured Query Language (SQL), the elegant descriptive language that's used to create and manipulate stores of data. This book explains the purpose and proper syntax of hundreds of SQL statements, as defined in four major SQL implementations, and details each entry with explanatory text and illustrative examples. Perhaps best of all, authors Kevin and Daniel Kline feature MySQL in their coverage, and give it billing that's equal to that of Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and PostgreSQL. Their inclusion of open-source MySQL, which in most situations carries no license fee, is recognition of its growing popularity and suitability for serious database applications; also, it improves this book's appeal to Unix and Linux developers.

The majority of this slender book comprises eminently useful syntax documentation (which is in the style of Unix man pages, with bracketed options and monospace arguments) and the other information that's specific to individual statements and functions. Additionally, it includes a relatively small amount of conceptual information, such as a section on the proper use of NULL values. The material that's not statement-specific also contrasts data-type implementations of the four covered platforms--for example, readers learn that a PostgreSQL int2 value is known as a smallint in ANSI standard SQL. This is a particularly handy reference book, if you use one of the emphasized SQL implementations. --David Wall

Topics covered: Structured Query Language (SQL), as implemented in Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, as well as in ANSI standard SQL (SQL92 and SQL99). After an introduction to data types and relational database fundamentals (the latter is not emphasized), the authors document SQL statements and functions, one by one and alphabetically. They take care to point out differences among the four implementations.

This book covers various "flavors" of SQL, but not all of them. This was a "recommended" reference book for a college-level Introduction to SQL course. I will keep the book around as a technical reference even though I discovered it was a lot easier to find PostgreSQL syntax information by typing a command into Google and scanning the results for examples.

This is a nice, quick guide for referencing SQL. This book is not a 900 page behemoth to teach you all the ins and outs of SQL setup and performance tweaking, nor is it a 30 page list of commands. Rather, it is a nice "tweener" guide (200+ pages) to get your feet wet and remind you of what commands are and how SQL can be used. 'SQL In A Nutshell' covers SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL, going over the SQL standards that you can expect from these favorite flavors of SQL. Light on examples but heavy on syntax, I feel that this is a nice companion manual to have at your side when you need to remind yourself how a particular command should be written.

If you are a SQL developer could you live without this manual? Yes you probably could live without it, but it's handy to have at your side and I would recommend it.

**** RECOMMENDED

This is a solid desk reference for SQL syntax which provides invaluable material on the portability of each type of statement. The heart of the book is the four hundred pages of statement reference. Each statement is described with it's syntax and options. Then the support for each database (DB2, MySQL, Oracle, PostgresSQL, and SQL Server) is described in detail. There is a similar 120 page reference on SQL functions.

This is classic O'Reilly. The text is well written, and the book is very dense and well organized. There is a little introductory material but the heart of the book is the statement and function reference. You will get the most out of this book if you already have a reasonable understanding of SQL. This is not a book for beginners.

This would make an ideal desktop reference, particularly for someone working in a cross-platform environment that goes directly to the SQL.

[A review of the 2nd edition, 2004.]

Perhaps the best virtue of this book is that it spans all the major variants of SQL - db2, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Microsoft's SQL Server. The authors are not beholden to any particular vendor. Thus the book describes the common ground. That is, the commands and usage that are most likely to be the same or similar across these implementations. Because a major use of this book might be in migrating. To this end, the more code you can have in this common area, the less painful the migration.

Another possible usage is if you are a DBA in charge of running 2 [or more] of these implementations. Perhaps due to some legacy issues, you have to support them. If you cannot merge SQL code into one common version, you can get problems. Being able to use this book to find quickly common commands and options to those commands might greatly help you maximise a common body of code.

I have the 2nd Edition, which is 600+ pages.

The amount of information included is incredible. Each description of the individual statements has a "Programming Tips and Gotchas" which can be really helpful. I appreciated the "Rules at a Glance" in each section which give just a quick overview of each statement - the details are described in the section for each database (DB2, Oracle, MySQL, etc).

However, for me personally, the massive amount of quantity also leads to my frustration trying to look up a specific statement. The font is small (or at least appears small) and the text looks crammed together - it's tough to see where one thing starts and another ends. There is a margin indicator marking 400+ pages as the "Statement" section, which is just a big black streak down the edge of the book. I think would have been more helpful had it been alphabetic margin indicator tabs (A, B, C and so on) - this would have made finding statements easier.

So, there's my problem - a great book on content (I wouldn't want to see less), but tough (at least for me) to quickly find what I'm looking for - which is what you want in a desktop reference.

Content = 5 stars
Readability = 3 stars

The PHP language and PostgreSQL database server have long offered an ideal blend of practicality and power for both the novice and experienced programmer alike. Yet the continued evolution of both technologies makes them better suited to drive enterprise-class applications than ever before. In Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional, noted authors Cristian Darie, Emilian Balanescu, and Mihai Bucica show you how to take advantage of this powerful duo to build an e-commerce web site, guiding you step-by-step through the process of designing and developing the project.

Each chapter is devoted to a specific new feature. You'll learn how to build an online product catalog complete with pagination features, shopping cart, checkout mechanism, product search feature, product recommendations, administrative features, customer accounts, an order-management system, and more. You'll also learn how to process electronic payments by integrating several popular payment services, including PayPal, DataCash, and Authorize.net, and how to integrate the Amazon E-Commerce Service (ECS).

The book promotes good programming practices, including the separation of presentation code, business code, and data access code using a 3-tier architecture. PDO (PHP Data Objects) is used to connect to the database, and PostgreSQL functions are used to store the data logic. The Smarty templating engine is used to create the presentation layer. For a preview of what this book will teach you, take a look at the HatShop shopping cart demo.

Who This Book Is For

Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional is aimed at developers looking for a tutorial approach to building a full e-commerce web site from design to deployment. However, its assumed that you have mastered the basics of PHP and have some experience working with relational databases (preferably PostgreSQL).