What Versions Does This Book Cover?

This book has been in progress for almost a year and the PostgreSQL development team has not been idle during that year. When I started working on this book, PostgreSQL version 7.1.2 was on the streets . About half way through, PostgreSQL version 7.2 was released and the development team had started working on new features for version 7.3.

Fortunately, the PostgreSQL developers try very hard to maintain forward compatibility “ ”new features tend not to break existing applications. This means that all the 7.1.2 and 7.2 features discussed in this book should still be available and substantially similar in later versions of PostgreSQL. I have tried to avoid talking about features that have not been released at the time of writing “ ”where I have mentioned future developments, I will point them out.

Who Is This Book For?

If you are already using PostgreSQL, you should find this book a useful guide to some of the features that you might be less familiar with. The first part of the book provides an introduction to SQL and PostgreSQL for the new user . You'll also find information that shows how to obtain and install PostgreSQL on a Unix/Linux host, as well as on Microsoft Windows.

If you are developing an application that will store data in PostgreSQL, the second part of this book will provide you with a great deal of information relating to PostgreSQL programming. You'll find information on both server-side and client-side programming in a variety of languages.

Every database needs occasional administrative work. The final part of the book should be of help if you are a PostgreSQL administrator, or a developer or user that needs to do occasional administration. You will also find information on how to secure your data against inappropriate use.

Finally, if you are trying to decide which database to use for your current project (or for future projects), this book should provide all the information you need to evaluate whether PostgreSQL will fit your needs.