Our class will be using PostgreSQL database, version 8.0.1. The DBMS is installed and running on turing. Each of you has an account on turing as well as an identity (with the same username) in our PostgreSQL system. With that account, each of you also is the owner of your very own database (with your username as its name). You have full rights to modify that database as you wish.

To begin, we will use a terminal-based front end for interacting with the database. This program is psql and can be run as such from your account on turing. By default, when you execute psql you are connected to a database which is the same as your username. In this way, each of you has your own database to play with. We will also use another database csci371 for the whole class for sharing tables which we have created. To connect to that database, type psql -d csci371 at your shell prompt.

Alternatively, we've installed a GUI front end called pgadmin3 onto turing. Admittedly, I have not experimented with it very much thus far. To use it the first time, you will need to add a connection to a server with settings:

Address	localhost
Description	yourchoice
Port	5432 (default)
Initial DB	yourusername
Username	yourusername
need password	yes

Once that is established, you should see your new definition listed among the "Servers" list in the leftside panel. Click on it to connect, and click on the '+' sign to expand that entry. Within that server, expand the "Databases" list and find and select your individual database. Once that is done, the "SQL" pencil icon should light up which means you are ready to interact with your databse.

Documentation

• PostgreSQL website
• PostgreSQL 8.0 Online Manual
• psql section of that manual
• pdAdmin III homepage
• A Gentle Introduction to SQL

• My own notes on SQL queries