Database Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 4
Using pgAdmin
pgAdmin III is the current rendition of the tried-and-true graphical administration tool
for PostgreSQL. Although it has its shortcomings, we are always encouraged by not only
how quickly bugs are fixed, but also how quickly new features are added. Since it's
positioned as the official graphical-administration tool for PostgreSQL and packaged
with many binary distributions of PostgreSQL, pgAdmin has the responsibility to always
be kept in sync with the latest PostgreSQL releases. If a new release of PostgreSQL
introduce new features, you can count on the latest pgAdmin to let you manage it. If
you're new to PostgreSQL, you should definitely start with pgAdmin before exploring
other tools.
Getting Started
Download pgAdmin from
pgadmin.org
. While on the site, you can opt to peruse one
of the guides introducing pgAdmin. The tool is well-organized and, for the most part,
guides itself quite well. For the adventurous, you can always try beta and alpha releases
of pgAdmin. Your help in testing would be greatly appreciated by the PostgreSQL com‐
munity.
Overview of Features
To whet your appetite, here's a list of our favorite goodies in pgAdmin. More are listed
Graphical explain for your queries
This awesome feature offers pictorial insight into what the query planner is think‐
ing. Gone are the days of trying to wade through the verbosity of text-based planner
output.
