Chapter 10. Enhancing SQL with add-ons

 

This chapter covers

  • TIGER geocoder
  • pgRouting
  • PL/R
  • PL/Python

In this chapter, we’ll cover common open source add-on tools that are often used to enhance the functionality of PostgreSQL. What makes these tools special is that they unleash the power of SQL, so you can write much more powerful queries than you can with PostGIS and PostgreSQL alone. They also allow for greater abstraction of logic, because you can reuse these same functions and database triggers across all your application queries.

The tools we’ll be covering are as follows:

10.1. Georeferencing with the TIGER geocoder

10.2. Solving network routing problems with pgRouting

10.3. Extending PostgreSQL power with PLs

10.4. Graphing and accessing spatial analysis libraries with PL/R

10.5. PL/Python

10.6. Summary