| For most Windows users, the word database is synonymous with the Microsoft Access product. Microsoft Access provides a simple graphical interface for creating data tables, and the reports necessary to view the data. However, Access has its limitations, especially in a multi-user environment. This book shows how to overcome these limitations by using the PostgreSQL Open Source database software.
While a mainstay in the Linux world, Open Source software is slowly starting to make inroads into the Microsoft Windows world. Windows users and developers can now download and install many Open Source applications compiled specifically for the Windows environment. Starting with version 8.0, the PostgreSQL database server package includes an easy-to-install Windows version. Now any Windows user and developer can incorporate PostgreSQL’s commercial-quality database features at no cost. This book describes the PostgreSQL database server, and how to use it in a Windows environment. If this is your first time using a large-scale database server, you will be amazed at how easy it is to create and manage your own database server. You will quickly see the benefits of moving your databases from an Access database to a PostgreSQL database server. You can even keep your Access applications while utilizing the PostgreSQL database server to control your data.
If you are a seasoned Windows database administrator, you may be pleasantly surprised at the features and resources available in PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL provides both commercial-quality database features, such as transactions, triggers, and stored procedures, and programming interfaces for all of the common programming languages used in the Windows environment. This book shows detailed examples of how to create programs in several common Windows programming languages that can access a PostgreSQL database server. |
