PostgreSQL: what do you do with your data?
The applications we build, often come with a - pardon our french - shitload of data. To maintain this, you need a system that can store, access and edit this data.
The table: a miniature data control system
A data control system in his most essential form, is a table. In Excel you can write down data and make calculations in a simple table. But when you have a lot of data, or data that belongs in different categories or has multiple properties, a table in Excel tends to get really messy, quite quickly. What you need is a system that can make these connections, without making countless tables with duplicated data.
Creating more data? No, thanks!
To tackle this problem, we use PostgreSQL: an object relational database management system (ORDBMS). Quite a mouthful, but this means as much as that the system connects data from different tables. The advantages of this, are that duplication of data is minimised and that we can guarantee the quality and completeness of the data, with the pleasant consequence that information is easily found.
Reliable and innovative
PostgreSQL is not the only relational data control system. What it makes unique, is that it is enterprise software on which we can count for over more than 10 years. Besides, Postgres offers an innovative data control system and releases constantly new features that meet the demands of latest internet trends. It is an universal database in which data is stored according to current standards. This means the system is widely employable, communication with other systems and applications is smooth, and the system runs perfectly on different operating systems.
The popularity of PostgreSQL
According to Stack Overflow's latest research, PostgreSQL ranks second in the list of most popular database technologies. There are therefore more than enough examples of companies that use this technology. One of them is IMDB, the world's largest online database of movies, actors, directors, screenwriters and other people from the film industry. If you like analyzing all that data, you can! On this site you will find all the information you need. Tip: use PostgeSQL for the analysis!
Meer redenen om PostgreSQL te gebruiken?
Jazeker. Postgres is een open source database, wat inhoudt dat het niet beheerd wordt door één bedrijf, maar steunt op een wereldwijde community van ontwikkelaars en bedrijven. Dit komt niet alleen de ontwikkeling ten goede, maar betekent ook dat er geen licentiekosten zijn of onverwachte rekeningen op de mat vallen. Ben je al bijna om? Top! Want er zijn uitstekende migratietools beschikbaar die ervoor zorgen dat jouw database binnen no time is omgetoverd tot een power-database.
Voordelen
- Eenvoudig upgraden en features uitbereiden omdat PostgeSQL open-source is.
- PostgreSQL biedt de mogelijkheid om code te schrijven in een andere programmeertaal (zoals Python), zonder dat de database opnieuw gecompileerd hoeft te worden.
- Kostenefficiënt: je zit niet vast aan licenties of abonnementen. PostgreSQL is gratis te gebruiken.
Nadelen
- Zoeken binnen je database is met PostgreSQL niet zo efficiënt. Als er veel behoefte is aan 'full-text search' en/of 'faceted search', dan is het verstandig om PostgreSQL te combineren met ElasticSearch.
