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PostGreSQL: discover this relational database management system

What is a relational database?

A relational database has the particular property of displaying information in two-dimensional tables. These are called tables or relationships. The advantage of these databases lies in how easy they are to modify. Indeed, it is possible to add new information without disrupting existing applications.

The data stored in the tables (or relationships) correspond to categories and each table can contain several categories. In a commercial context, a table in a relational database can be composed of a column relating to the customer, his or her address, etc. Another can display the name of the product, the date of purchase, the sale price, any possible discount ...

Thanks to PostGreSQL, it is possible to manage this type of database.

The properties of PostGreSQL

PostGreSQL has graphical interfaces, allowing it to manage tables. Therefore, it is essential to have X Windows to use it. On the other hand, this management system includes many libraries related to different languages in JavaScript, C/C++, and Perl, as well as Tcl/Tk. Finally, thanks to an application programming interface in Open DataBase Connectivity (or ODBC), PostGreSQL allows any type of application adapted to access a relational database.

The architecture of PostGreSQL

PostGreSQL operates based on a client/server architecture: the network machines communicate with a server that is then able to provide them with services. The server part of PostGreSQL (the postmaster program), the one that hosts the database, processes the requests from the client part. It is installed on the network machines, and is able to access the database through the server.

MySQL or PostGreSQL, which to choose?

It is common to compare PostGreSQL and MySQL, since these two management systems relate to the same databases. Which to choose? To find out, it is necessary to compare them according to several criteria:

• The usage: in production, MySQL is relatively easy to use. Indeed, only 36 parameters will have to be modified. As for PostGreSQL configuration, it is particularly difficult in production. However, if it is used for testing, you should not have any particular problems using it.
• The community: while the MySQL community is much larger than the PostGreSQL community, the latter is more active. The PostGreSQL documentation is also more complete. As a result, if necessary, PostGreSQL users will be able to get help much more easily.
• The features: PostGreSQL has more features. On the other hand, this system is slower than MySQL in terms of query processing.