[Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?

[Maria Pinjanainen]

Michelle M wrote:
> What is Postgresql, why is it worth using? Check out the main PG site: 
> http://www.postgresql.org
>
> Wikipedia, of course, has a great entry on PostgreSQL, which is 
> definitely worth a detailed read. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postgresql)
>
> PostgreSQL is a relational database system that is quite powerful. It 
> has been around for a while, as the wikipedia article talks about.
>
> PostgreSQL is ACID compliant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACID), and 
> has been that way long before MySQL was. ACID compliance means that a 
> database makes sure that transactions occur reliably. This includes:
>
> Atomicity - the database system will do all of the tasks in a 
> transaction, or none of them
> Consistency - integrity constraints are kept
> Isolation - tasks outside a transaction can never see data in an 
> intermediate state
> Durability - once a transaction is complete, it persists.
>
> PostgreSQL has lots of interesting and useful features, which we'll talk 
> about over the course of the next 14 weeks.
>
> I chose PG years ago because it was a more robust, secure, and feature 
> rich DBMS system at the time I was evaluating it in comparison to MySQL. 
> MySQL has definitely caught up. But I'm still partial to PG.
>
> Lots of open source CMS and other systems support PG.
>
> PG is cross-platform. We'll focus on installing and using it in Linux 
> (we are, after all, Linuxchix), but next week, I will give some details 
> about how to install it on other platforms.
>
> Assignment for the week (this is also on Moodle). Due by Sunday (just to 
> keep the flow of the course going well)
>
> I have two questions for you to send in your answers to the list, if you 
> wish:
>
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
>   
I'm Maria Pinjanainen. I'm working in one little university Abo Akademi,
http://www.abo.fi in Turku, Finland.
My work is all computer work in our laboratory.
http://www.abo.fi/fak/tkf/tpk
Why this course? I must learn sql, ok I have mysql running here, but I
belive learning PG is not a bad idea.
Moodle is also very interesting tool. It is possible that I need to work
with it next year... We are going to make "virtual courses".
I am going to install PG 8.x into my Sun, Ultra desktop. Powered with
Debian, Etch.
Later this week I'll get a couple more Suns to install, so if needed,
another distro is available. Maybe Gentoo of Aurora(RH).
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use 
> PG with. 
Perhaps backup database ??
Or music and photograph database??
Oh no, too much to do... ;-)

-m-

> Share with us a brief synopsis of the project: the problem, the 
> platform, the approach you'll think you'll take, and why you think PG 
> might be a good fit. It should be something that will be fun, and 
> perhaps a bit challenging for you.
>
> The project is important. It's been my experience that it's much easier 
> to learn something when you have a concrete need, than just doing 
> something in the abstract.
>
> Next Week:
>
> Installing PG on multiple platforms
>
> Peace,
> Michelle
>