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<!-- doc/src/sgml/intro.sgml -->
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<preface id="preface">
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<title>Preface</title>
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<para>
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This book is the official documentation of
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname>. It has been written by the
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> developers and other
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volunteers in parallel to the development of the
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> software. It describes all
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the functionality that the current version of
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> officially supports.
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</para>
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<para>
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To make the large amount of information about
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> manageable, this book has been
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organized in several parts. Each part is targeted at a different
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class of users, or at users in different stages of their
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> experience:
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<itemizedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<xref linkend="tutorial"> is an informal introduction for new users.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<xref linkend="sql"> documents the <acronym>SQL</acronym> query
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language environment, including data types and functions, as well
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as user-level performance tuning. Every
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<productname>PostgreSQL</> user should read this.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<xref linkend="admin"> describes the installation and
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administration of the server. Everyone who runs a
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> server, be it for private
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use or for others, should read this part.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<xref linkend="client-interfaces"> describes the programming
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interfaces for <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> client
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programs.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<xref linkend="server-programming"> contains information for
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advanced users about the extensibility capabilities of the
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server. Topics include user-defined data types and
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functions.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<xref linkend="reference"> contains reference information about
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SQL commands, client and server programs. This part supports
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the other parts with structured information sorted by command or
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program.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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2003-10-22 00:47:54 +02:00
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Update documentation on may/can/might:
Standard English uses "may", "can", and "might" in different ways:
may - permission, "You may borrow my rake."
can - ability, "I can lift that log."
might - possibility, "It might rain today."
Unfortunately, in conversational English, their use is often mixed, as
in, "You may use this variable to do X", when in fact, "can" is a better
choice. Similarly, "It may crash" is better stated, "It might crash".
Also update two error messages mentioned in the documenation to match.
2007-01-31 21:56:20 +01:00
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<xref linkend="internals"> contains assorted information that might be of
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use to <productname>PostgreSQL</> developers.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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</para>
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<sect1 id="intro-whatis">
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<title> What is <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>?</title>
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<para>
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is an object-relational
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database management system (<acronym>ORDBMS</acronym>) based on
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<ulink url="http://db.cs.berkeley.edu/postgres.html">
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<productname>POSTGRES, Version 4.2</productname></ulink>,
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developed at the University of California at Berkeley Computer Science
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Department. POSTGRES pioneered many concepts that only became
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available in some commercial database systems much later.
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</para>
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<para>
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is an open-source descendant
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of this original Berkeley code. It supports a large part of the SQL
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standard and offers many modern features:
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<itemizedlist spacing="compact">
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<listitem>
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<simpara>complex queries</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>foreign keys</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>triggers</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>updatable views</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>transactional integrity</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>multiversion concurrency control</simpara>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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2003-09-11 23:42:20 +02:00
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Also, <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be extended by the
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user in many ways, for example by adding new
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<itemizedlist spacing="compact">
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<listitem>
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<simpara>data types</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>functions</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>operators</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>aggregate functions</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>index methods</simpara>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<simpara>procedural languages</simpara>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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</para>
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<para>
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And because of the liberal license,
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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be used, modified, and
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distributed by anyone free of charge for any purpose, be it
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private, commercial, or academic.
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</para>
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</sect1>
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&history;
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¬ation;
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&info;
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&problems;
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</preface>
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