Re: postgresql book - practical or something newer?

Tom Lane wrote:
> "vincent" <vinny(at)xs4all(dot)nl> writes:
>
>> In the manual yes, but I think there's definately a need for a howto
>> document, something that demonstrates how to handle typical database
>> functionality in PgSQL. Many of the people I've convinced to start using
>> PostgeSQL spend the first week or so asking me questions on how to do
>> basic things in PostgreSQL. When I say that there's a manual, the
>> complaint usually is what I've noticed myself: the manual is great for
>> looking up individual facts, but your problem may consist of 15 facts and
>> it's up to you to connect the dots.
>>
>
> Surely even a book that's a little out-of-date can serve fine for that
> kind of introduction?
>
> regards, tom lane
>
I agree that it would be useful as an introduction, but I have 4 years
of mySQL experience (I know, I'm sorry) and I've been working with
postgres for the past 3-4 months during which time I've built a data
mine by hand, and set up a few different web apps running against it
(drupal, openreports, etc.) so I think I'm past the introduction phase.
What I was looking for was an intermediate level (call me presumptuous)
book with more performance tips and advanced techniques/functions. Even
though this book may have some sort of this information in it, it's
going to be based on 7.x and the entire thing is available online (as
well as the docs, which personally I like).

And on the subject of beginner's documentation, I think I learned a lot
more playing/hacking/reading docs/posting here (of course that's always
been my preferred learning method) then I would have with a book.
Everybody has their own learning style and different things work well
for different people. The key here is that when it's up to you to
"connect the dots" then you learn what the dots are, how they relate to
each other, and what each of them is for. That gives you a lot better
understanding then "Just run SELECT count(*) FROM a LEFT JOIN...".

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong :-)

--
Tom Hart
IT Specialist
Cooperative Federal
723 Westcott St.
Syracuse, NY 13210
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