By John C. Worsley, Joshua D. Drake
January 2002
Pages: 636
ISBN 10: 1-56592-846-6 |
ISBN 13: 9781565928466
(Average of 3 Customer Reviews)
Arguably the most capable of all the open source databases, PostgreSQL is an object-relational database management system that--until now--lacked comprehensive, easy-to-use documentation. Practical PostgreSQL is a fast-paced guide that shows you how to get PostgreSQL installed, configured, and running. This comprehensive book delves into the many advanced features of the PostgreSQL Application Server, LXP, including the the use of SQL within PostgreSQL, and covers basic PostgreSQL database administration.
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Book details
First Edition: January 2002
ISBN: 1-56592-846-6
Pages: 636
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 3 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Practical PostgreSQL Review, January 28 2004
I have to slam this book as well.
Is was helpful with installation and initial configurations, but there was little or no explanation on how to interface with the database in Perl, C/C++, or any other standard language. It is as if the author never expectred you to use the database for a web-based application.
A poor index doesn't help.
The book suppports 7.1 and we are now on 7.4 and there is no "Second Edition" yet. I hope that a second edition (if there is one) os better organized.
--madvax
Practical PostgreSQL Review, June 18 2003
I mostly worked on Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL before finally making the jump to PostgreSQL. Clearly PostgreSQL is the most robust
database I have used so far. Of all the PostgreSQL I own (at last count that was 5), the O'reilly book "Pratical prostgreSQL" is the one I refer to
most often. I use this book almost every day and cannot tell you how often this
book has helped. The examples given are usually bang on to the specific needs that I encountered.
My only concern with the book is that it doesn't cover PHP, which seems to be a natural fit for the best and most reliable open source database.
Practical PostgreSQL Review, September 10 2002
I am a dyed-in-the-wool O'Reilly book fan. At home and at work I have several dozen unix/linux, windows, database, and diverse programming language titles. They are readable, well-engineered books, by and large, and they have helped me immeasurably over the years, an ROI that I will probably never match elsewhere.
Except for Practical PostgreSQL.
My god, does this book suck. The most egregious of its defects, are its table of contents and its index. They are so brief and incomplete, that they alone render the book practically useless. We are not talking about an electronic document. which is searchable by hook or by crook. We are talking about a 600+ page physical book. To depend on exhaustive, page-by-page searches or serendipitous surprise to find things is crippling at best.
I will not dwell on any other issues, such as lack of coverage of the PostgreSQL Catalog, the lack of programming tips in C, C++, or perl, etc. I hope the next edition, if one is ever produced, will represent an overhaul of the book's coverage and a robust indexing project. I will wait to see the online user reviews befor buying it, though.
Media reviews
"This excellent introduction to what many regard as the most powerful open source database shows programmers, administrators, and even the newly initiated how to successfully use PostgreSQL."
--Book News, Feb 4, 2003
"well-written and thorough...not only on using PostgreSQL but an excellent book to learn to use an ORDBMS or just plain RDBMS or just SQL."
--Paul Scott, Journal of the Tucson Computer Society, August 2002
"provides an excellent introduction to Postgresql for both newbies, and intermediate users. Advanced users might not need most of the introductory material, but the reference material included throughout the book is very useful for almost any Postgresql user...Overall rating: 9/10."
--Daniel C. Hanks, Provo Linux Users Group, 7 Aug, 2002
"well-written and thorough...not only on using PostgreSQL but an excellent book to learn to use an ORDBMS or just plain RDBMS or just SQL."
--Paul Scott, Journal of the Tucson Computer Society, August 2002
