The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20240926170156/https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/postgresql-tutorial/
Open In App

PostgreSQL Tutorial

Last Updated : 19 Jun, 2024
Summarize
Comments
Improve
Suggest changes
Like Article
Like
Save
Share
Report
News Follow

In this PostgreSQL tutorial you’ll learn the basic data types(Boolean, char, text, time, int etc.), Querying and Filtering techniques like select, where, in, order by, etc. managing and modifying the tables in PostgreSQL. We’ll cover all the basic to advance concepts of PostgreSQL in this tutorial. So if you are beginner who start to learn RDBMS or an expert who want to upscale you PostgreSQL skills, then keep reading this free PostgreSQL tutorial.

PostgreSQL is one of the most advanced Relational database management systems (RDBMS). It is open-source software, which means the source code is available under the PostgreSQL license. Anyone with the right skills is free to use, modify, and distribute PostgreSQL in any form. It supports both relational as well as Non-Relational JSON Queries.

PostgreSQL Tutorial

What is PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL is an advanced and open-source relational database management system and is used as a database for many web applications, mobile and analytics applications. It supports both SQL (relational) and JSON (non-relational) querying and It is a stable database supported by more than 20 years of development by the open-source community.

What is the Use of PostgreSQL?

As you know that PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source relational database management system. It’s used Which is mostly use for storing, organizing, and retrieving data. Other then this things it is also widely used for:

  • Data Storage: It stores data in an organized way using tables, making it easy to manage large amounts of information.
  • Complex Queries: PostgreSQL supports complex queries, allowing you to fetch specific data using SQL (Structured Query Language).
  • ACID Compliance: It ensures reliable transactions with ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) compliance, meaning your data remains accurate and secure.
  • Scalability: Suitable for both small and large applications, PostgreSQL can handle a large number of users and large datasets.
  • Extensibility: You can add custom functions, data types, and extensions, making PostgreSQL highly flexible and adaptable to various needs.
  • Support for Advanced Data Types: It supports advanced data types like JSON, XML, and arrays, allowing for diverse data storage and manipulation.

PostgreSQL Tutorial For Beginners

In this begineer section, you’ll learn the basics, from installing PostgreSQL to creating your first database and running simple queries. We’ll guide you step-by-step through setting up tables, inserting data, and retrieving information using SQL commands.

PostgreSQL Basics

Explore all the basics topics that every one know while learning the PostgreSQL, Here in this section you will learn introduction of PostgreSQL, how to install PostgreSQL on various OS and other PostgreSQL basics.

Data Types

Querying & Filtering Data

Managing Tables

Modifying Data

Conditionals

Control Flow

Transactions & Constraints

Working with JOINS & Schemas

Roles & Permissions

Working with Sets

Subquery & CTEs

User-Defined Functions

Important In-Built Functions

Visit PostgreSQL In-Built functions for more.

Advanced PostgreSQL Tutorial

In this section, you’ll learn about advanced features of PostgreSQL that can help you manage your databases more efficiently. We’ll cover topics like performance tuning, indexing strategies, and using advanced SQL functions. You’ll also explore how to handle large datasets, optimize queries, and set up replication for high availability.

PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL

Variables & Constants

Stored Procedures

Working with Triggers

Working with Views & Indexes

Errors & Exception Handling

Difference Between PostgreSQL and MySQL

Feature PostgreSQL MySQL
Type Object-relational database Relational database
ACID Compliance Fully ACID compliant Fully ACID compliant
Complex Queries Excellent support for complex queries Good support for complex queries
Data Types Wide range of advanced data types Basic range of data types
JSON Support Strong support for JSON Good support for JSON
Performance Great for complex, read-heavy operations Fast for read-heavy and write-heavy loads
Extensibility Highly extensible with custom functions Limited extensibility
Replication Supports various replication methods Supports master-slave replication
Community and Support Strong community, active development Strong community, widely used
Usage Preferred for complex applications Preferred for web applications
License Open-source (PostgreSQL License) Open-source (GPL License)

Features of PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL runs on all operating systems, Like Linux, UNIX, MAC OS and Windows and It supports text, images, sounds, and video, and includes programming interfaces for C / C++, Java, Perl, Python, Ruby, and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).

PostgreSQL supports a big part of the SQL standard and provides many features mentioned below:

  • Complex SQL queries
  • SQL Sub-selects
  • Foreign keys
  • Trigger
  • Views
  • Transactions
  • Multiversion concurrency control (MVCC)
  • Streaming Replication (as of 9.0)
  • Hot Standby (as of 9.0)
  • Asynchronous replication
  • Tablespaces

Advantages of PostgreSQL

  • PostgreSQL has the feature of write-ahead logging.
  • Many replication methods are supported.
  • It has ability to make large-scale web applications because it is robust and powerful.
  • It is easy to learn.
  • According to the organization we can edit and modify it easily because PostgreSQL is available for free to its open source license.

Conclusion

In this PostgreSQL tutorial, You will learn all the essentials of working with PostgreSQL Like installation, connecting to the database, creating and managing databases, SQL basics, querying data, advanced queries and joins, indexing and optimization, transactions and concurrency control, security and user management, backup and restore, PostGIS for geospatial data, and PostgreSQL extensions. PostgreSQL provides number of features Which makes it a versatile and reliable choice for building robust database-driven applications.

PostgreSQL Tutorial – FAQs

1. How to create new Database in PostgreSQL?

There are two methods of creating a new database:

  1. CREATE DATABASE (SQL command)
  2. createdb (command-line executable)

2. What are the different Operators in PostgreSQL?

There are 4 different type of operators in PostgreSQL are as follow-

  • Arithmetic operators
  • Logic operators
  • Comparison operators
  • Bitwise operators

3. What are the disadvantages with PostgreSQL?

Performance wise PostgreSQL is slower than MySQL and Open source applications are less than MySQL.

4. How to delete a PostgreSQL database?

  1. DROP DATABASE (SQL command)
  2. dropdb (command-line)


Similar Reads

PostgreSQL - Connect To PostgreSQL Database Server in Python
The psycopg database adapter is used to connect with PostgreSQL database server through python. Installing psycopg: First, use the following command line from the terminal: pip install psycopg If you have downloaded the source package into your computer, you can use the setup.py as follows: python setup.py build sudo python setup.py installCreate a
4 min read
PostgreSQL - Export PostgreSQL Table to CSV file
In this article we will discuss the process of exporting a PostgreSQL Table to a CSV file. Here we will see how to export on the server and also on the client machine. For Server-Side Export: Use the below syntax to copy a PostgreSQL table from the server itself: Syntax: COPY Table_Name TO 'Path/filename.csv' CSV HEADER; Note: If you have permissio
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Installing PostgreSQL Without Admin Rights on Windows
If you are a part of a corporation, it is highly unlikely that you have the admin privileges to install any external software. But the curious souls that all software developers are, in this article, we will see the detailed process of installation of PostgreSQL without having administrator rights on our Windows machine. Installation: Follow the be
3 min read
PostgreSQL - Creating Updatable Views Using WITH CHECK OPTION Clause
PostgreSQL is the most advanced general purpose open source database in the world. pgAdmin is the most popular management tool or development platform for PostgreSQL. It is also an open source development platform. It can be used in any Operating Systems and can be run either as a desktop application or as a web in your browser. In this article, we
4 min read
What is PostgreSQL - Introduction
This is an introductory article for the PostgreSQL database management system. In this we will look into the features of PostgreSQL and why it stands out among other relational database management systems. Brief History of PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL also known as Postgres, was developed by Michael Stonebraker of the University of California, Berkley. I
2 min read
Install PostgreSQL on Mac
This is a step-by-step guide to install PostgreSQL on a Mac OS machine. We will be installing PostgreSQL version 11.3 on Mac using the installer provided by EnterpriseDB in this article. There are three crucial steps for the installation of PostgreSQL as follows: Download PostgreSQL EnterpriseDB installer for MacInstall PostgreSQLVerify the install
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Loading a Database
In this article we will look into the process of loading a PostgreSQL database into the PostgreSQL database server. Before moving forward we just need to make sure of two things: PostgreSQL database server is installed on your system. A sample database. For the purpose of this article, we will be using a sample database which is DVD rental database
3 min read
PostgreSQL - NOT LIKE operator
The PostgreSQL NOT LIKE works exactly opposite to that of the LIKE operator. It is used to data using pattern matching techniques that explicitly excludes the mentioned pattern from the query result set.Its result include strings that are case-sensitive and doesn't follow the mentioned pattern. It is important to know that PostgreSQL provides with
2 min read
PostgreSQL - LIKE operator
The PostgreSQL LIKE operator is used query data using pattern matching techniques. Its result include strings that are case-sensitive and follow the mentioned pattern. It is important to know that PostgreSQL provides with 2 special wildcard characters for the purpose of patterns matching as below: Percent ( %) for matching any sequence of character
2 min read
PostgreSQL - SELF JOIN
PostgreSQL has a special type of join called the SELF JOIN which is used to join a table with itself. It comes in handy when comparing the column of rows within the same table. As, using the same table name for comparison is not allowed in PostgreSQL, we use aliases to set different names of the same table during self-join. It is also important to
3 min read
Install PostgreSQL on Linux
This is a step-by-step guide to install PostgreSQL on a Linux machine. By default, PostgreSQL is available in all Ubuntu versions as PostgreSql "Snapshot". However other versions of the same can be downloaded through the PostgreSQL apt repository. We will be installing PostgreSQL version 11.3 on Ubuntu in this article. There are three crucial steps
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Rename Database
In PostgreSQL, the ALTER DATABASE RENAME TO statement is used to rename a database. The below steps need to be followed while renaming a database: Disconnect from the database that you want to rename by connecting to a different database.Terminate all connections, connected to the database to be renamed.Now you can use the ALTER DATABASE statement
1 min read
PostgreSQL - Size of tablespace
In this article, we will look into the function that is used to get the size of the PostgreSQL database tablespace. The pg_tablespace_size() function is used to get the size of a tablespace of a table. This function accepts a tablespace name and returns the size in bytes. Syntax: select pg_tablespace_size('tablespace_name'); Example 1: Here we will
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Removing Temporary Table
In PostgreSQL, one can drop a temporary table by the use of the DROP TABLE statement. Syntax: DROP TABLE temp_table_name; Unlike the CREATE TABLE statement, the DROP TABLE statement does not have the TEMP or TEMPORARY keyword created specifically for temporary tables. To demonstrate the process of dropping a temporary table let's first create one b
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Block Structure
PL/pgSQL is a block-structured language, therefore, a PL/pgSQL function or store procedure is organized into blocks. Syntax: [ <<label>> ] [ DECLARE declarations ] BEGIN statements; ... END [ label ]; Let's analyze the above syntax: Each block has two sections: declaration and body. The declaration section is optional while the body sec
4 min read
Introduction to PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL
In this, we will discuss the overview of PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL and will also cover the CRUD(CREATE, READ, UPDATE, DELETE) operations with the help of the example of each operation and finally will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL. Let's discuss it one by one.PostgreSQL :It is a powerful, open-source object-relational da
4 min read
PostgreSQL - IF Statement
PostgreSQL has an IF statement executes `statements` if a condition is true. If the condition evaluates to false, the control is passed to the next statement after the END IF part. Syntax: IF condition THEN statements; END IF; The above conditional statement is a boolean expression that evaluates to either true or false. Example 1: In this example,
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Introduction to Stored Procedures
PostgreSQL allows the users to extend the database functionality with the help of user-defined functions and stored procedures through various procedural language elements, which are often referred to as stored procedures. The store procedures define functions for creating triggers or custom aggregate functions. In addition, stored procedures also
3 min read
PostgreSQL - Select Into
In PostgreSQL, the select into statement to select data from the database and assign it to a variable. Syntax: select select_list into variable_name from table_expression; In this syntax, one can place the variable after the into keyword. The select into statement will assign the data returned by the select clause to the variable. Besides selecting
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Reset Password For Postgres
In this article, we will look into the step-by-step process of resetting the Postgres user password in case the user forgets it. PostgreSQL uses the pg_hba.conf configuration file stored in the database data directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\12\data on Windows) and is used to handle user authentication. The hba in pg_hba.conf means host-
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Show Databases
In PostgreSQL, there are couple of ways to list all the databases present on the server. In this article, we will explore them. Using the pSQL command: To list all the database present in the current database server use one of the following commands: Syntax: \l or \l+ Example: First log into the PostgreSQL server using the pSQL shell: Now use the b
1 min read
PostgreSQL - CONCAT_WS Function
In PostgreSQL, the CONCAT_WS function is used to concatenate strings with a separator. Like the CONCAT function, the CONCAT_WS function is also variadic and ignored NULL values. The following illustrates the syntax of the CONCAT_WS function. Syntax: CONCAT_WS(separator, string_1, string_2, ...); Let's analyze the above syntax: The separator is a st
1 min read
PostgreSQL - Connecting to the database using Python
PostgreSQL API for Python allows user to interact with the PostgreSQL database using the psycopg2 module. In this article we will look into the process of connecting to a PostgreSQL database using Python. Prerequisites: First we will need to install the psycopg2 module with the below command in the command prompt: pip install psycopg2 Creating a Da
2 min read
PostgreSQL - Insert Data Into a Table using Python
In this article we will look into the process of inserting data into a PostgreSQL Table using Python. To do so follow the below steps: Step 1: Connect to the PostgreSQL database using the connect() method of psycopg2 module.conn = psycopg2.connect(dsn) Step 2: Create a new cursor object by making a call to the cursor() methodcur = conn.cursor() Ste
2 min read
PostgreSQL - While Loops
PostgreSQL provides the loop statement which simply defines an unconditional loop that executes repeatedly a block of code until terminated by an exit or return statement. The while loop statement executes a block of code till the condition remains true and stops executing when the conditions become false. The syntax of the loop statement: [ <
2 min read
PostgreSQL - For Loops
PostgreSQL provides the for loop statements to iterate over a range of integers or over a result set or over the result set of a dynamic query. The different uses of the for loop in PostgreSQL are described below: 1. For loop to iterate over a range of integers The syntax of the for loop statement to iterate over a range of integers: [ <<labe
4 min read
How to use PostgreSQL Database in Django?
This article revolves around how can you change your default Django SQLite-server to PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL and SQLite are the most widely used RDBMS relational database management systems. They are both open-source and free. There are some major differences that you should be consider when you are choosing a database for your applications. Also ch
2 min read
PostgreSQL - SQL Optimization
PostgreSQL is the most advanced general-purpose open source database in the world. pgAdmin is the most popular management tool or development platform for PostgreSQL. It is also an open source development platform. It can be used in any Operating Systems and can be run either as a desktop application or as a web in your browser. You can download th
5 min read
PostgreSQL CRUD Operations using Java
CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations are the basic fundamentals and backbone of any SQL database system. CRUD is frequently used in database and database design cases. It simplifies security control by meeting a variety of access criteria. The CRUD acronym identifies all of the major functions that are inherent to relational databases and
8 min read
PostgreSQL - Connect and Access a Database
In this article, we will learn about how to access the PostgreSQL database. Once the database is created in PostgreSQL, we can access it in two ways using: psql: PostgreSQL interactive terminal program, which allows us to interactively enter, edit, and execute SQL commands.pgAdmin: A graphical frontend web-based tool, suite with ODBC or JDBC suppor
3 min read