doc/src/sgml/external-projects.sgml

   1 <!-- doc/src/sgml/external-projects.sgml -->
   2
   3  <appendix id="external-projects">
   4   <title>External Projects</title>
   5
   6   <para>
   7    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is a complex software project,
   8    and managing the project is difficult. We have found that many
   9    enhancements to <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be more
  10    efficiently developed separately from the core project.
  11   </para>
  12
  13  <sect1 id="external-interfaces">
  14   <title>Client Interfaces</title>
  15
  16   <indexterm>
  17    <primary>interfaces</primary>
  18    <secondary>externally maintained</secondary>
  19   </indexterm>
  20
  21   <para>
  22    There are only two client interfaces included in the base
  23    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> distribution:
  24    <itemizedlist>
  25     <listitem>
  26      <para>
  27       <link linkend="libpq">libpq</link> is included because it is the
  28       primary C language interface, and because many other client interfaces
  29       are built on top of it.
  30      </para>
  31     </listitem>
  32
  33     <listitem>
  34      <para>
  35       <link linkend="ecpg">ECPG</link> is included because it depends on the
  36       server-side SQL grammar, and is therefore sensitive to changes in
  37       <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> itself.
  38      </para>
  39     </listitem>
  40    </itemizedlist>
  41
  42    All other language interfaces are external projects and are distributed
  43    separately. A
  44    <ulink url="https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/List_of_drivers">list of language interfaces</ulink>
  45    is maintained on the PostgreSQL wiki. Note that some of these packages are
  46    not released under the same license as <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>.
  47    For more information on each language interface, including licensing terms,
  48    refer to its website and documentation.
  49   </para>
  50
  51   <para>
  52     <ulink url="https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/List_of_drivers"></ulink>
  53   </para>
  54  </sect1>
  55
  56  <sect1 id="external-admin-tools">
  57  <title>Administration Tools</title>
  58
  59   <indexterm>
  60    <primary>administration tools</primary>
  61    <secondary>externally maintained</secondary>
  62   </indexterm>
  63
  64   <para>
  65    There are several administration tools available for
  66    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>. The most popular is
  67    <application><ulink url="https://www.pgadmin.org/">pgAdmin</ulink></application>,
  68    and there are several commercially available ones as well.
  69   </para>
  70  </sect1>
  71
  72  <sect1 id="external-pl">
  73   <title>Procedural Languages</title>
  74
  75   <indexterm>
  76    <primary>procedural language</primary>
  77    <secondary>externally maintained</secondary>
  78   </indexterm>
  79
  80   <para>
  81    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> includes several procedural
  82    languages with the base distribution: <link
  83    linkend="plpgsql">PL/pgSQL</link>, <link linkend="pltcl">PL/Tcl</link>,
  84    <link linkend="plperl">PL/Perl</link>, and <link
  85    linkend="plpython">PL/Python</link>.
  86   </para>
  87
  88   <para>
  89    In addition, there are a number of procedural languages that are developed
  90    and maintained outside the core <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>
  91    distribution. A list of
  92    <ulink url="https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/PL_Matrix">procedural languages</ulink>
  93    is maintained on the PostgreSQL wiki. Note that some of these projects are
  94    not released under the same license as <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>.
  95    For more information on each procedural language, including licensing
  96    information, refer to its website
  97    and documentation.
  98   </para>
  99
 100   <para>
 101    <ulink url="https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/PL_Matrix"></ulink>
 102   </para>
 103  </sect1>
 104
 105  <sect1 id="external-extensions">
 106  <title>Extensions</title>
 107
 108   <indexterm>
 109    <primary>extension</primary>
 110    <secondary>externally maintained</secondary>
 111   </indexterm>
 112
 113   <para>
 114    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is designed to be easily extensible. For
 115    this reason, extensions loaded into the database can function
 116    just like features that are built in. The
 117    <filename>contrib/</filename> directory shipped with the source code
 118    contains several extensions, which are described in
 119    <xref linkend="contrib"/>.  Other extensions are developed
 120    independently, like <application><ulink
 121    url="https://postgis.net/">PostGIS</ulink></application>.  Even
 122    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> replication solutions can be developed
 123    externally. For example, <application> <ulink
 124    url="https://www.slony.info">Slony-I</ulink></application> is a popular
 125    primary/standby replication solution that is developed independently
 126    from the core project.
 127   </para>
 128  </sect1>
 129 </appendix>