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    Ongoing observations by End Point Dev people

    PostgreSQL 8.1 Shows Database Progress

    Jon Jensen

    By Jon Jensen
    November 14, 2005

    At End Point we recommend PostgreSQL for most of our database-backed software development due to its powerful features, reliability, speed, and liberal license. On November 8, 2005, PostgreSQL 8.1 was released, and it offers a number of useful new features, including:

    • Two-phase commit (transactions across distant servers).

    • Numerous new SQL features (regexp_replace function; indexed MIN and MAX aggregates; SQL-standard quoting; non-blocking SELECT FOR UPDATE, better time zone handling; cross-table DELETE and TRUNCATE).

    • More powerful in-database functions with mutable function parameters and improved PL/Perl language support (return_next and spi_fetchrow; use strict; return arrays).

    • Convenient interactive error retry in psql client (coded by End Point’s own Greg Sabino Mullane).

    • Integrated encryption (pgcrypto module for PGP, SHA, AES, and DES encryption functions).

    • Improved performance (better multiprocessor support; shared row locking; bitmap scan of indexes; ability to use multi-column indexes on single columns in any order).

    • Easier database administration (autovacuum integration; ROLE replaces USER and GROUP; functions to determine on-disk storage space).

    • Temporary views.

    We are consistently pleased with the steady improvements shown by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group and have already begun using this new version in our development.

    database postgres


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