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<!--
$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/external-projects.sgml,v 1.2 2004/12/03 06:04:38 momjian Exp $
-->
<chapter id="external-projects">
<title>External Projects</title>
<para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is a large piece of very
complex software, and managing the code is a difficult process. We
have found that many enhancements to
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be more efficiently
developed independently of the main project. They can have their own
developer teams, email lists, their own bug tracking, and their own
release schedule. While their independence makes development easier,
it makes users job harder. They have to hunt around looking for
database enhancements to meet their needs.
</para>
<para>
This section will outlines some of the more popular externally
developed enhancements and guides you on how to find them.
</para>
<sect1 id="interfaces">
<title>Externally Developed Interfaces</title>
<indexterm>
<primary>interfaces</primary>
</indexterm>
<para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> packages very few interfaces
with the base distribution. <application>libpq</> is packaged because
it is the primary <application>C</> interface and many other
interfaces are built on top of it. <application>ecpg</> is packaged
because it is tied to the server-side grammar so it is very dependent
on the database version. All the other interfaces are independent
projects.
</para>
<para>
To use other interfaces, you have to do some searching. For example,
<productname>GBorg</> at <ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org">
http://gborg.postgresql.org</ulink> has over thirty interfaces listed
in its <literal>Drivers/Interfaces</> section. Some of the more
popular interfaces are:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>ODBC</term>
<listitem>
<para>
This is the most common interface for <application>Windows</>
applications.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>psqlODBC</term>
<listitem>
<para>
This is the most common interface for <application>Windows</>
applications.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Npgsql</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<application>.Net</> interface for more recent
<application>Windows</> applications.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libpq++</term>
<listitem>
<para>
An older <application>C++</> interface.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libpqxx</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A newer <application>C++</> interface.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>pgperl</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>Perl</> interface with an <acronym>API</> similar
to <application>libpq</>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>DBD-Pg</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>Perl</> interface that uses the
<acronym>DBD</>-standard <application>API</>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>pgtcl</term>
<listitem>
<para>
The original version of the <application>TCL</> interface.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>PyGreSQL</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>Python</> interface library.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>pgjdbc</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A <application>JDBC</> interface.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>pgtclng</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A newer version of the <application>TCL</> interface.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
<para>
That section also contains several server-side languages that are
separate projects. <application>pgFoundry</> at <ulink
url="http://pgfoundry.org">http://pgfoundry.org</ulink> contains
even more projects. Other projects are not even hosted on these
servers and you will have to do an internet search to find them.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="extensions">
<title>Extensions</title>
<indexterm>
<primary>extensions</primary>
</indexterm>
<para>
<productname>PostgreSQL</> was designed from the start to be
extensible. For this reason, extensions loaded into the database can
function just like features that are packaged with the database. The
<filename>/contrib</> directory shipped with the source code
contains a large number of extensions. The <filename>READMD</> file
in that directory contains a summary. They include conversion tools,
full-text indexing, <acronym>XML</> tools, and additional data types
and indexing methods. Other extensions are developed independently,
like <application>PostGIS</>. Even <application>PostgreSQL</>
replication solutions are developed externally. For example,
<application>Slony</> is a popular master/slave replication solution
that is developed independently from the main projects.
</para>
<para>
There are several administration tools available for
<productname>PostgreSQL</>. The most popular is
<application>pgadmin</>, and there are several commercially
available ones.
</para>
</sect1>
</chapter>
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