Database Reference
In-Depth Information
SQL pane
pgAdmin ultimately interacts with PostgreSQL via SQL, and it's not shy about let‐
ting you see the generated SQL. When you use the graphical interface to make
changes to your database, pgAdmin automatically displays the underlying SQL in
the SQL pane that will perform the tasks. For novices, studying the generated SQL
is a superb learning opportunity. For pros, taking advantage of the generated SQL
is a great time-saver.
GUI editor for configuration files such as postgresql.conf and pg_hba.conf
You no longer need to dig around for the files and use another editor.
Data export and import
pgAdmin can easily export query results as a CSV file or other delimited format
and import such files as well. It can even export as HTML, providing you with a
turn-key reporting engine, albeit a bit crude.
Backup and restore wizard
Can't remember the myriad of commands and switches to perform a backup or
restore using
pg_restore
and
pg_dump
? pgAdmin has a nice interface that lets you
selectively back up and restore databases, schemas, single tables, and globals. You
can view and copy the underlying
pg_dump
or
pg_restore
command that pgAdmin
used in the Message tab.
Grant wizard
This time-saver allows you to change privileges on many database objects in one
fell swoop.
pgScript engine
This is a quick-and-dirty way to run scripts that don't have to complete as a trans‐
action. With this you can execute loops that commit on each iteration, unlike func‐
tions that require all steps to be completed before the work is committed. Unfortu‐
nately, you cannot use this engine outside of pgAdmin.
Plug-in architecture
Access newly developed add-ons with a single mouse click. You can even install
your own. We describe this feature in
Change in pgAdmin Plug-Ins
.
pgAgent
We'll devote an entire section to this cross-platform job scheduling agent. pgAdmin
provides a cool interface to it.
Connecting to a PostgreSQL Server
Connecting to a PostgreSQL server with pgAdmin is straightforward. The Properties
and Advanced tabs are shown in
Figure 4-1
.
