Overview
PostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) with an emphasis on extensibility and standards compliance. As a database server, its primary functions are to store data securely and return that data in response to requests from other software applications. It can handle workloads ranging from small single-machine applications to large Internet-facing applications (or for data warehousing) with many concurrent users;
on macOS Server, PostgreSQL is the default database; and it is also available for Microsoft Windows and Linux (supplied in most distributions).
PostgreSQL is ACID-compliant and transactional. PostgreSQL has updatable views and materialized views, triggers, foreign keys; supports
functions and stored procedures, and other expandability. PostgreSQL is developed by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group, a diverse group
of many companies and individual contributors. It is free and open-source, released under the terms of the PostgreSQL License, a permissive software license.
Advantages of Using Postgres
1. Open Source DBMS
Only PostgreSQL provides enterprise-class performance and functions among current Open Source DBMS with no end of development possibilities. Also, PostgreSQL users can directly participate in the community and post and share inconveniences and bugs.
2. Diverse Community
One of the characteristics of PostgreSQL is that there are a wide variety of communities. Regarding PostgreSQL as Open Source DBMS, users themselves can develop modules and propose the module to the community. The development possibility is superior high with collecting opinions from its own global community organized with all different kinds of people. Collective Intelligence, as some might call it, facilitates transmission of indigenous knowledge greatly within the communities.
3. Function
SQL functions called ‘Store Procedure’ can be used for server environment. Also, we support languages similar to PL/SQL in Oralcle such as PL/pgSQL, PL/Python, PL/Perl, C/C++, and PL/R.
4. ACID and Transaction
PostgreSQL support ACID(Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability).
5. Diverse indexing techniques
PostgreSQL not only provides B+ tree index techniques, but various kinds of techniques such as GIN(Generalized Inverted Index), and GiST(Generalized Search Tree), etc as well.
6. Flexible Full-text search
Full-text search is available when searching for strings with execution of vector operation and string search.
7. Diverse kinds of replication
PostgreSQL supports a variety of replication methods such as Streaming Replication , Slony-I, and cascading.
8. Diversified extension functions
PostgreSQL supports different kinds of techniques for geographic data storage such as PostGIS, Key-Value Store, and DBLink.
9. Cross Platform
It also is available for almost every operating system with the latest stable release.