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<appendix id="external-projects">

<title>PgFoundry andExternal Projects</title>

<title>External Projects</title>

<para>

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> is a complex software project,

and managing the project is difficult. We have found that many

enhancements to <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> can be more

efficiently developed separately from the core project.

</para>

<para>

To help our community with the development of their external projects,

we have created the <ulink url="http://www.pgfoundry.org/">PgFoundry</ulink>.

<ulink url="http://www.pgfoundry.org/">PgFoundry</ulink> is built using the

GForge software project and is similar to SourceForge in its feature set. If

you have a PostgreSQL related Open Source project that you would like to

develop and need project management resources such as mailing lists, forums,

bug tracking, and CVS, please feel free to create a new project.

efficiently developed separately from the core project.

</para>

<para>

Secondly, many <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>-related projects are

still hosted at <ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org/"><productname>GBorg</></ulink>.

GBorg is the original external community developer site, and while it is

currently closed to new projects in favor of PgFoundry, it still contains

many active and relevant projects. There are other popular <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>

related projects that are hosted independently as well at other community

sites such as <ulink url="http://www.sf.net/">SourceForge</ulink>. You should

search the web if you don't find the project you are looking for.

To help our community with the development of their external projects, we

have created <ulink url="http://www.pgfoundry.org/">PgFoundry</ulink>, a

website that provides hosting for <productname>PostgreSQL</>-related

projects that are maintained outside the core <productname>PostgreSQL</>

distribution. PgFoundry is built using the GForge software project and is

similar to <ulink url="http://sourceforge.net">SourceForge.net</> in its

feature set, providing mailing lists, forums, bug tracking, CVS, and web

hosting. If you have a <productname>PostgreSQL</>-related open source

project that you would like to have hosted at PgFoundy, please feel free

to create a new project.

</para>

<note>

<para>

Many <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>-related projects are still

hosted at <ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org/">GBorg</>. GBorg is

the original external community developer site, and while it is

currently closed to new projects in favor of PgFoundry, it still

contains many active and relevant projects. Other popular

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname>-related projects are hosted

independently, or on other project-hosting sites such such as <ulink

url="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge.net</ulink>. You should search

the web if you don't find the project you are looking for.

</para>

</note>

<sect1 id="external-interfaces">

<title>Externally Developed Interfaces</title>

<title>Client Interfaces</title>

<indexterm>

<primary>interfaces</primary>

<secondary>externally maintained</secondary>

</indexterm>

<para>

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> includes very few interfaces

with the base distribution. <application>libpq</> is packaged because

it is the primary <application>C</> interface and many other interfaces

are build on top of it. <application>ecpg</> is also packaged because it is

tied to the server-side grammar so is very dependent on the database

version. All the other interfaces, such as ODBC, Java, Perl, Python, and

others, are external projects and must be installed separately.

There are only two client interfaces included in the base

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> distribution:

<itemizedlist>

<listitem>

<para>

<link linkend="libpq">libpq</link> is included because it is the

primary C language interface, and because many other client interfaces

are built on top of it.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

<link linkend="ecpg">ecpg</link> is included because it depends on the

server-side SQL grammar, and is therefore sensitive to changes in

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> itself.

</para>

</listitem>

</itemizedlist>

All other language interfaces are external projects and are distributed

separately. <xref linkend="language-interface-table"> includes a list of

some of these projects. Note that some of these packages may not be

released under the same license as <productname>PostgreSQL</>. For more

information on each language interface, including licensing terms, refer to

its website and documentation.

</para>

<table id="language-interface-table">

<title>Externally Maintained Client Interfaces</>

<tgroup cols="4">

<thead>

<row>

<entry>Name</entry>

<entry>Language</entry>

<entry>Comments</entry>

<entry>Website</entry>

</row>

</thead>

<tbody>

<row>

<entry>DBD::Pg</entry>

<entry>Perl</entry>

<entry>Perl DBI driver</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://search.cpan.org/dist/DBD-Pg/">http://search.cpan.org/dist/DBD-Pg/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>JDBC</entry>

<entry>JDBC</entry>

<entry>Type 4 JDBC driver</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://jdbc.postgresql.org/">http://jdbc.postgresql.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>libpqxx</entry>

<entry>C++</entry>

<entry>New-style C++ interface</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://thaiopensource.org/development/libpqxx/">http://thaiopensource.org/development/libpqxx/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>libpq++</entry>

<entry>C++</entry>

<entry>Old-style C++ interface</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org/project/libpqpp/">http://gborg.postgresql.org/project/libpqpp/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>Npgsql</entry>

<entry>.NET</entry>

<entry>.NET data provider</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://pgfoundry.org/projects/npgsql/">http://pgfoundry.org/projects/npgsql/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>ODBCng</entry>

<entry>ODBC</entry>

<entry>An alternative ODBC driver</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://projects.commandprompt.com/public/odbcng/">http://projects.commandprompt.com/public/odbcng/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>pgtclng</entry>

<entry>Tcl</entry>

<entry></entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://pgfoundry.org/projects/pgtclng/">http://pgfoundry.org/projects/pgtclng/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>psqlODBC</entry>

<entry>ODBC</entry>

<entry>The most commonly-used ODBC driver</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://odbc.postgresql.org/">http://odbc.postgresql.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>psycopg</entry>

<entry>Python</entry>

<entry>DB API 2.0-compliant</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://www.initd.org/">http://www.initd.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

</tbody>

</tgroup>

</table>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="external-pl">

<title>Procedural Languages</title>

<indexterm>

<primary>procedural language</primary>

<secondary>externally maintained</secondary>

</indexterm>

<para>

Some of the more popular interfaces are:

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term>psqlODBC</term>

<listitem>

<para>

This is the most common interface for <application>Windows</>

applications. <ulink url="http://odbc.postgresql.org/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>ODBCng</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Another ODBC driver for PostgreSQL.

<ulink url="http://projects.commandprompt.com/public/odbcng/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>PostgreSQL JDBC Driver</term>

<listitem>

<para>

A <application>JDBC</> interface.

<ulink url="http://jdbc.postgresql.org/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>Npgsql</term>

<listitem>

<para>

<application>.Net</> data provider for <application>C#</> applications.

<ulink url="http://pgfoundry.org/projects/npgsql/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>libpqxx</term>

<listitem>

<para>

A <application>C++</> interface.

<ulink url="http://thaiopensource.org/development/libpqxx/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>DBD::Pg</term>

<listitem>

<para>

A <application>Perl</> DBI driver for PostgreSQL.

<ulink url="http://search.cpan.org/dist/DBD-Pg/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>pgtclng</term>

<listitem>

<para>

A <application>Tcl</> interface.

<ulink url="http://gborg.postgresql.org/project/pgtclng/projdisplay.php">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>pyscopg</term>

<listitem>

<para>

A <application>Python</> interface library that is DB API 2.0 compliant.

<ulink url="http://www.initd.org/">Website.</ulink>

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> includes several procedural

languages with the base distribution: <link

linkend="plpgsql">PL/PgSQL</link>, <link linkend="pltcl">PL/Tcl</link>,

<link linkend="plperl">PL/Perl</link>, and <link

linkend="plpython">PL/Python</link>.

</para>

<para>

In addition, there are a number of procedural languages that are developed

and maintained outside the core <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>

distribution. <xref linkend="pl-language-table"> lists some of these

packages. Note that some of these projects may not be released under the same

license as <productname>PostgreSQL</>. For more information on each

procedural language, including licensing information, refer to its website

and documentation.

</para>

<table id="pl-language-table">

<title>Externally Maintained Procedural Languages</title>

<tgroup cols="3">

<thead>

<row>

<entry>Name</entry>

<entry>Language</entry>

<entry>Website</entry>

</row>

</thead>

<tbody>

<row>

<entry>PL/Java</entry>

<entry>Java</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://pljava.projects.postgresql.org/">http://pljava.projects.postgresql.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>PL/PHP</entry>

<entry>PHP</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://www.commandprompt.com/community/plphp/">http://www.commandprompt.com/community/plphp/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>PL/Py</entry>

<entry>Python</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://python.projects.postgresql.org/">http://python.projects.postgresql.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>PL/R</entry>

<entry>R</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://www.joeconway.com/plr/">http://www.joeconway.com/plr/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>PL/Ruby</entry>

<entry>Ruby</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/pl-ruby/">http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/pl-ruby/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>PL/Scheme</entry>

<entry>Scheme</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://plscheme.projects.postgresql.org/">http://plscheme.projects.postgresql.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>PL/sh</entry>

<entry>Unix shell</entry>

<entry><ulink url="http://plsh.projects.postgresql.org/">http://plsh.projects.postgresql.org/</ulink></entry>

</row>

</tbody>

</tgroup>

</table>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="external-extensions">

</indexterm>

<para>

<productname>PostgreSQL</>was designedfrom the start to be

extensible. Forthis reason, extensions loaded into the database can

function justlike features that are packaged with the database. The

<productname>PostgreSQL</>is designedto be easily 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>README</> 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-I</> is a popular master/slave replication solution

that is developed independently from the core project.

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><ulink

url="http://www.postgis.org/">PostGIS</ulink></>. Even

<productname>PostgreSQL</> replication solutions are developed

externally. For example, <application> <ulink

url="http://www.slony.info">Slony-I</ulink></> is a popular

master/slave replication solution that is developed independently

from the core project.

</para>

<para>

There are several administration tools available for

<productname>PostgreSQL</>. The most popular is

<application><ulink url="http://www.pgadmin.org/">pgAdmin III</ulink></>,

and there are several commercially available ones as well.

</para>

</para>

</sect1>

</appendix>