> On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:27:20 +0000
> Gregory Stark <stark@enterprisedb.com> wrote:
>
> BTW examples are a sort of specification too. I wouldn't
> underestimate their more formal value. So I think they should be part
> of *the* reference documentation with example output as well.
> They shouldn't be of the kind "how-to" but of the kind "you can't
> push the syntax further and this is what you'd expect as an output".
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.
This can be very confusing and discouraging to the average MySQL migrator
(ugh, I said the M word :) ) What people like about the books is that the
books usually tackle reallife problems from start to finish.
Shurely the PgSQL community must be able to piece together something like
that? It doesn't have to be a paper-book, although there are companies
that print on demand and ship directly to the customer.
Isn't there a wiki somewhere that we can fill with reallife stuff? Then
all 8.3 stuff could be added there to, even before 8.3 is released.