The first alpha release for PostgreSQL version 9.1, 9.1alpha1, is now available. This alpha release contains several new major features added since the 9.0 branch. Please download, install, and test it to give us early feedback on the features being developed for the future versions of PostgreSQL.
Note that the final release of PostgreSQL 9.1 is not to be expected before mid-2011. Please also direct your attention to the imminent release of PostgreSQL 9.0, which is currently in the release candidate stage.
Features added in 9.1alpha1 include:
* Recognize functional dependency on primary keys, to allow omitting non-primary key columns from the GROUP BY clause in certain situations.
* Reduce lock levels of CREATE TRIGGER and some ALTER TABLE, CREATE RULE actions.
* Change the default value of standard_conforming_strings to on. This is a significant incompatibility with previous releases, because it may break unwary applications in security-critical ways.
* Add vacuum and analyze counters to pg_stat_*_tables views.
* Several new XML-related functions: xmlexists, xpath_exists, xml_is_well_formed
* More compact representation of the numeric type.
* Extend psql's \e and \ef commands so that a line number can be specified, and the editor's cursor will be initially placed on that line.
More detail is available in the release notes:
http://developer.postgresql.org/pgdocs/postgres/release-9-1-alpha.html
These new features mean that we need you to participate in testing them. If you are able to help with organized alpha testing, please see the Alpha/Beta testing page: http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/HowToBetaTest
Alpha releases are not stable and should never be used in production; they are for testing new features only. There is no guarantee that any features or APIs present in the alphas will be present, or the same, in the final release.
Alpha release information page: http://www.postgresql.org/developer/alpha
Download the alpha release here: http://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v9.1alpha1/
Alpha releases are primarily made in source code form only. Binary packages for some operating systems will be prepared in the coming days. PostgreSQL Early Experience One-Click Installers are available here: http://www.enterprisedb.com/products/pgdevdownload.do
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