PostgreSQL is a free database, complete source code is given to you and is an Object-Relational Database System targetting on ANSI ISO/SQL 1998, 92 and runs on diverse hardware platforms and Operating systems. The ultimate objective and the final goal of PostgreSQL is to become 100 % compliant to ANSI/ISO SQL and also to become the number ONE open generic Database in the world.
PostgreSQL is pronounced as Post-gres-cue-el (Postgres-QL) and not Postgre-es-cue-el.
Today, PostgreSQL is the most advanced system in the world and it is surprising that many commercial database systems could not match the quality, features and capabilities of PostgreSQL !! PostgreSQL is the joint effort of many nations around the globe and is a project similar to International Space Station. PostgreSQL will remain the number one database system for many decades into future since it is an open-source code system.
The fundamental idea behind PostgreSQL is - once a module of code is written than you should not waste even a milli-second of your time trying to re-invent it!!
Informix Universal server (released 1997) is based on earlier version of PostgreSQL because Informix bought Illustra Inc. and integrated with Informix. Illustra database was based on Postgres (earlier version of PostgreSQL).
PostgreSQL is an enhancement of the POSTGRES database management system, a next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL retains the powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it replaces the PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL.
PostgreSQL development is being performed by a team of Internet developers who all subscribe to the PostgreSQL development mailing list. The current coordinator is Marc G. Fournier
This team is now responsible for all current and future development of PostgreSQL. Ofcourse, the database customer himself is the developer of PostgreSQL! The development load is distributed among a very large number of database end-users on internet.The authors of PostgreSQL 1.01 were Andrew Yu and Jolly Chen. The original Postgres code, from which PostgreSQL is derived, was the effort of many graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff programmers and working under the direction of Professor Michael Stonebraker at the University of California, Berkeley.
Millions of PostgreSQL is installed as Database servers, Web database servers and Application data servers. It is very sophisticated object relational database system (ORDBMS).
PostgreSQL runs on Solaris, SunOS, HPUX, AIX, Linux, Irix, Digital Unix, BSDi,NetBSD, FreeBSD, SCO unix, NEXTSTEP, Unixware and all and every flavor of Unix. Port to Windows NT is done using Cygnus cygwin32 package.
PostgreSQL and related items in this document are subject to the COPYRIGHT from University of California, Berkeley.
PostgreSQL details in nutshell:
PostgreSQL is pronounced as Post-gres-cue-el (Postgres-QL) and not Postgre-es-cue-el.