Re: Getting Started in Postgresql - Mailing list pgsql-general
From | Ian Harding |
---|---|
Subject | Re: Getting Started in Postgresql |
Date | |
Msg-id | se6ee096.050@mail.tpchd.org Whole thread Raw |
In response to | Getting Started in Postgresql (Daniel Anderson <dan3487@yahoo.com>) |
List | pgsql-general |
Congratulations! You will be very happy with your choices. The only change I would make is 's/Open/Net/g' but that's justme. Your main concerns are not PostgreSQL or OpenBSD specific. They are 1. Unix-like operating system versus MS Windows. This is a big difference, but the changes are ALL positive. Any bookthat teaches the basics of *nix system administration will help. There are some good *BSD specific books out there,although I learned Linux (RedHat) and then migrated to NetBSD. 2. Real relational database management system versus "Ronco All In One Database, Report Generator, Application DevelopmentSystem. That's right, it slices, it dices, it Juliennes fries..." Any good book on any good relational databasemanagement system will do. The theory is far more important than the syntax or database specific functionality. I learned MS SQL Server and had absolutely no difficulty whatsoever with PostgreSQL. You are very lucky to be allowed to escape the tyrrany of software that makes you work the way it wants, to software thatworks the way you want. I went from spending entire 8 hour days trying to figure out how to work around things likethe fact that Access did not work as advertised (including cut and paste from the Knowledge Base) or discovering undocumentedlimitations like the number of nested subqueries, to spending my time developing my application. Anyway, specifically I recommend Bruce's book for PostgreSQL stuff, and have heard good things about Joe Celko's books onSQL generally. The docs are actually quite good, once you come to understand where things are hidden. I recommend buyingthem in book form or printing them so you can actually READ them, as opposed to on-line, even though they will be outof date within minutes of being committed to paper. You can always refer to the online copies, but for trying to absorbthe gist of the whole thing, paper is better. Have fun! Ian Harding Programmer/Analyst II Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department iharding@tpchd.org (253) 798-3549 "If any man can convince me and bring home to me that I do not think or act aright, gladly will I change; for I search aftertruth, by which man never yet was harmed. But he is harmed who abideth on still in his deception and ignorance" -- Marcus Aurelius >>> Daniel Anderson <dan3487@yahoo.com> 03/12/03 03:26AM >>> Hi, At work I was assigned the task of migrating a very large (and very unmanageable) MS Access database to a solution that would be massively scalable and support a number of simultaneous users and features.[1] After lengthy study I concluded that Postgresql running on OpenBSD would be ideal[2]. So now I am designing and implementing programs to allow a number of clients to connect to the database over the network.[3] I was wondering if anybody could recommend good books, resources, references, or otherwise general starting points to help steer me in the right direction? I've been through the docs and at this point am just trying to remember everything (it's quite overwhelming!) But any suggestions to make the life of a postgres noob easier would be welcomed. =) Thanks, Dan Anderson Lab Rat and Helper Monkey Great Lakes Industries, Inc. [1] I've already figured out that I can save MS Access files as text and COPY them to the postgres database. [2] The discussion of exactly why I chose OpenBSD and Postgresql is beyond the scope of this e-mail, but I would be more then happy to discuss/debate/explain why to anybody who e-mails me. (dan3487@yahoo.com) [3] Suffice it to say each and every OpenBSD box needs to completely automate connection to the database (including the use of barcode scanners) at a number of different points across the floor, all connected via 802.11b. So my job is to design a system and code it to make it work. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online http://webhosting.yahoo.com ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 2: you can get off all lists at once with the unregister command (send "unregister YourEmailAddressHere" to majordomo@postgresql.org)
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