diff --git a/doc/FAQ b/doc/FAQ index 4cb54486c27750199ecbd8f381390a1b6285a8d6..4bdea83d1196c964da07bf5a832fe769efb99009 100644 --- a/doc/FAQ +++ b/doc/FAQ @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL - Last updated: Fri Mar 12 08:51:11 EST 2004 + Last updated: Mon Mar 29 00:07:11 EST 2004 Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us) @@ -114,22 +114,24 @@ 1.1) What is PostgreSQL? How is it pronounced? - PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L. The name "Postgres" is also - used in conversation. + PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L. An audio file is available at + http://www.postgresql.org/postgresql.mp3 for those would like to hear + the pronunciation. PostgreSQL is an enhancement of the POSTGRES database management - system, a next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL - retains the powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it - replaces the PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL. - PostgreSQL is free and the complete source is available. + system (and is still sometimes reffered to as simply "Postgres"), a + next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL retains the + powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it replaces the + PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL. PostgreSQL is + free and the complete source is available. PostgreSQL development is performed by a team of developers who all subscribe to the PostgreSQL development mailing list. The current coordinator is Marc G. Fournier (scrappy@PostgreSQL.org). (See section 1.6 on how to join). This team is now responsible for all development of PostgreSQL. It is a community project and is not controlled by any - company. To get involved, see the developer's - FAQ,http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html + company. To get involved, see the developer's FAQ at + http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html The authors of PostgreSQL 1.01 were Andrew Yu and Jolly Chen. Many others have contributed to the porting, testing, debugging, and @@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ PostgreSQL Data Base Management System - Portions copyright (c) 1996-2002, PostgreSQL Global Development Group + Portions copyright (c) 1996-2004, PostgreSQL Global Development Group Portions Copyright (c) 1994-6 Regents of the University of California Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its @@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ 1.3) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run on? - In general, a modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run + In general, any modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at the time of release are listed in the installation instructions. @@ -436,7 +438,7 @@ These include PgAccess http://www.pgaccess.org), PgAdmin III (http://www.pgadmin.org, RHDB Admin (http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/ ) and Rekall ( http://www.thekompany.com/products/rekall/, proprietary). - There is also PHPPgAdmin ( http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/ ), a + There is also PhpPgAdmin ( http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/ ), a web-based interface to PostgreSQL. See http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/GUITools for a more detailed @@ -503,14 +505,14 @@ By default, PostgreSQL only allows connections from the local machine using Unix domain sockets. Other machines will not be able to connect - unless you add the -i flag to postmaster, and enable host-based - authentication by modifying the file $PGDATA/pg_hba.conf accordingly. - This will allow TCP/IP connections. + unless you turn on tcpip_sockets in the postgresql.conf and enable + host-based authentication by modifying the file $PGDATA/pg_hba.conf + accordingly. This will allow TCP/IP connections. 3.6) How do I tune the database engine for better performance? - Certainly, indexes can speed up queries. The EXPLAIN command allows - you to see how PostgreSQL is interpreting your query, and which + Certainly, indexes can speed up queries. The EXPLAIN ANALYZE command + allows you to see how PostgreSQL is interpreting your query, and which indexes are being used. If you are doing many INSERTs, consider doing them in a large batch @@ -657,11 +659,14 @@ 4.3) How do I get a list of tables or other things I can see in psql? - You can read the source code for psql in file - pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c. It contains SQL commands that generate - the output for psql's backslash commands. You can also start psql with - the -E option so it will print out the queries it uses to execute the - commands you give. + Use the \dt command to see tables in psql. For a complete list of + commands inside psql you can use \?. Alternatively you can read the + source code for psql in file pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c, it + contains SQL commands that generate the output for psql's backslash + commands. You can also start psql with the -E option so it will print + out the queries it uses to execute the commands you give. PostgreSQL + also provides an SQLi compliant INFORMATION SCHEMA interface you can + query to get information about the database. 4.4) How do you remove a column from a table, or change its data type? diff --git a/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html b/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html index 80d61d3b34032de34a5c0cee2dae5ed4eab5d17a..4b6cba133ebf5cec65fcbeb5d77f3987f499ab97 100644 --- a/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html +++ b/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ alink="#0000ff">
Last updated: Fri Mar 12 08:51:11 EST 2004
+Last updated: Mon Mar 29 00:07:11 EST 2004
Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us)
@@ -156,11 +156,14 @@
PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L. The name "Postgres" is - also used in conversation.
+PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L. An audio file is + available at http://www.postgresql.org/postgresql.mp3 for those + would like to hear the pronunciation. +
PostgreSQL is an enhancement of the POSTGRES database management - system, a next-generation DBMS research prototype. + system (and is still sometimes reffered to as simply "Postgres"), + a next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL retains the powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it replaces the PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL. PostgreSQL is free and the @@ -173,7 +176,7 @@ section 1.6 on how to join). This team is now responsible for all development of PostgreSQL. It is a community project and is not controlled by any company. To get involved, see - the developer's FAQ,http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html
@@ -197,7 +200,7 @@PostgreSQL Data Base Management System
-Portions copyright (c) 1996-2002, PostgreSQL Global Development +
Portions copyright (c) 1996-2004, PostgreSQL Global Development Group Portions Copyright (c) 1994-6 Regents of the University of California
@@ -227,7 +230,7 @@In general, a modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to +
In general, any modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at the time of release are listed in the installation instructions.
@@ -563,7 +566,7 @@ href="http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/">http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/ ) and Rekall ( http://www.thekompany.com/products/rekall/, proprietary). There is - also PHPPgAdmin ( + also PhpPgAdmin ( http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/ ), a web-based interface to PostgreSQL. @@ -651,7 +654,7 @@By default, PostgreSQL only allows connections from the local machine using Unix domain sockets. Other machines will not be able - to connect unless you add the -i flag to postmaster, + to connect unless you turn on tcpip_sockets in the postgresql.conf and enable host-based authentication by modifying the file $PGDATA/pg_hba.conf accordingly. This will allow TCP/IP connections.
@@ -660,7 +663,7 @@ better performance?Certainly, indexes can speed up queries. The - EXPLAIN command allows you to see how PostgreSQL is + EXPLAIN ANALYZE command allows you to see how PostgreSQL is interpreting your query, and which indexes are being used.
If you are doing many INSERTs, consider doing @@ -837,12 +840,15 @@
You can read the source code for psql in file - pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c. It contains - SQL commands that generate the output for psql's - backslash commands. You can also start psql with the - -E option so it will print out the queries it uses to - execute the commands you give.
+Use the \dt command to see tables in psql. For a complete list of + commands inside psql you can use \?. Alternatively you can read the source + code for psql in file pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c, it + contains SQL commands that generate the output for + psql's backslash commands. You can also start psql with the + -E option so it will print out the queries it uses to execute the + commands you give. PostgreSQL also provides an SQLi compliant + INFORMATION SCHEMA interface you can query to get information about the + database.