PostgreSQL
To become an advanced PostgreSQL user — job-ready and fluent in advanced techniques like migrations, query optimization, and database internals — you’ll need a structured approach that balances practical experience, deep dives, and exposure to real-world problems. Here’s a roadmap:
🔧 Phase 1: Foundation (Basics to Intermediate)
Section titled “🔧 Phase 1: Foundation (Basics to Intermediate)”✅ Learn the Core SQL Features
Section titled “✅ Learn the Core SQL Features”- CRUD:
SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE - DDL:
CREATE TABLE,ALTER,DROP - Constraints:
PRIMARY KEY,UNIQUE,FOREIGN KEY,CHECK,NOT NULL - Joins:
INNER,LEFT,RIGHT,FULL OUTER,CROSS - Indexes: How and when to use them
📘 Recommended:
🧱 Phase 2: PostgreSQL-Specific Features
Section titled “🧱 Phase 2: PostgreSQL-Specific Features”🔍 Deep Dive Into Postgres Uniques
Section titled “🔍 Deep Dive Into Postgres Uniques”SERIALvsIDENTITY- JSONB and JSON functions
- Window functions
- Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
WITHqueriesRETURNINGclause
📘 Study:
- PostgreSQL official docs
- Book: Mastering PostgreSQL in Application Development by Dimitri Fontaine
⚙️ Phase 3: Advanced Operational Knowledge
Section titled “⚙️ Phase 3: Advanced Operational Knowledge”🚀 Migrations & Schema Management
Section titled “🚀 Migrations & Schema Management”-
Tools: Sqitch, Flyway, Liquibase, Alembic (for Python), Prisma Migrate, TypeORM Migrations, or Goose for Go
-
Learn safe practices for:
- Rolling back migrations
- Zero-downtime deployments
- Handling large schema changes
📐 Indexes & Performance
Section titled “📐 Indexes & Performance”- B-tree, Hash, GIN, GiST, BRIN — when to use what
- Analyze queries with
EXPLAINandEXPLAIN ANALYZE VACUUM,ANALYZE,REINDEX- Autovacuum tuning
- Partitioning strategies
- Connection pooling (e.g., with
pgbouncer)
🛠 Practice:
- Use pg_stat_statements to analyze real-world query performance
- Read: High Performance PostgreSQL guides
🧪 Phase 4: Real-World Projects
Section titled “🧪 Phase 4: Real-World Projects”🔧 Build and Maintain:
Section titled “🔧 Build and Maintain:”- A microservice with PostgreSQL as the main database
- A CLI tool to run migrations
- A backup & restore script using
pg_dump,pg_restore - Automate DB setup with Docker or Ansible
🧠 Try these:
Section titled “🧠 Try these:”- Use
psqlfor scripting - Write custom functions with
PL/pgSQL - Use
LISTEN/NOTIFYfor real-time updates
📚 Phase 5: Mastery & Internals
Section titled “📚 Phase 5: Mastery & Internals”Learn:
Section titled “Learn:”- PostgreSQL transaction internals (MVCC, isolation levels, deadlocks)
- WAL (Write-Ahead Logging)
- Logical vs physical replication
- Extensions like
pg_cron,PostGIS,citext,uuid-ossp
📘 Read:
- PostgreSQL: Up and Running (O’Reilly)
- The Internals of PostgreSQL (Free online: https://www.interdb.jp/pg/)
👨🔧 Practice Sites and Hands-On
Section titled “👨🔧 Practice Sites and Hands-On”- LeetCode Database Problems
- pgExercises
- Contribute to an open-source project that uses Postgres
- Join PostgreSQL Discord, Reddit (/r/PostgreSQL), or mailing lists
✅ Certifications (Optional but Helpful)
Section titled “✅ Certifications (Optional but Helpful)”Would you like a custom weekly learning plan or a specific project idea to build while learning?