Get Started with PostgreSQL Development on GitHub – wiki大全

Get Started with PostgreSQL Development on GitHub

PostgreSQL, often simply called Postgres, is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system renowned for its robustness, feature set, and performance. Its reputation for data integrity and extensibility makes it a top choice for a wide range of applications, from small personal projects to large-scale enterprise systems.

When we talk about “PostgreSQL Development on GitHub,” it can refer to two distinct but equally important avenues:

1. Contributing to the PostgreSQL Core Project: Directly helping to build and improve the database system itself.
2. Developing Applications that Use PostgreSQL: Building software whose code is hosted on GitHub, and which relies on PostgreSQL as its primary data store.

This article will guide you through getting started with both, with a particular focus on the latter, as it’s the more common entry point for most developers.

Part 1: Contributing to the PostgreSQL Core Project (Brief Overview)

The PostgreSQL project maintains a strong independent development model. While there is a read-only mirror on GitHub, the core development, patch submissions, and discussions primarily happen on their own Git repository and mailing lists.

1. Get the Source Code:
   The official source code is managed with Git. You can clone the repository from git.postgresql.org.
   bash
git clone https://git.postgresql.org/git/postgresql.git
   This will create a local copy of the entire codebase, including its history and branches.

2. Set Up Your Development Environment:
   You’ll need fundamental development tools, including Git, a C development environment (as PostgreSQL is written in C), and Perl. Most Linux/BSD distributions provide these via their package managers, while macOS users might use tools like Homebrew.

3. Build and Test PostgreSQL:
   After cloning, navigate to the postgresql directory and configure, build, and test the project to ensure your environment is set up correctly:
   bash
cd postgresql
./configure
make
make check # Runs regression tests

4. Understand the Contribution Process:
   PostgreSQL development heavily relies on mailing lists for discussions and patch submissions. The pgsql-hackers mailing list is the primary hub. To contribute, you’ll develop your changes, generate a patch file using git format-patch, and send it to the appropriate mailing list for review. The “Commitfest” process tracks patches and coordinates development efforts.

Part 2: Developing Applications with PostgreSQL and GitHub (Main Focus)

For most developers, “PostgreSQL Development on GitHub” means building an application, hosting its code on GitHub, and using PostgreSQL as the backend database. This is a standard application development workflow with a focus on database integration.

1. Setting up Your PostgreSQL Environment

You need a running PostgreSQL instance for your application to connect to.

• Local Installation:
  • macOS: brew install postgresql
  • Linux (Debian/Ubuntu): sudo apt update && sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib
  • Windows: Download an installer from the official PostgreSQL website.

• Containerization (Recommended for Development):
  Using Docker is highly recommended for creating isolated and reproducible development environments.
  Create a docker-compose.yml file:
  “`yaml
  version: ‘3.8’
  services:
  db:
  image: postgres:13
  restart: always
  environment:
  POSTGRES_DB: your_database_name
  POSTGRES_USER: your_username
  POSTGRES_PASSWORD: your_password
  ports:
  – “5432:5432”
  volumes:
  – db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  volumes:
  db_data:
  ``
Then rundocker-compose up -d` to start your database.
  * Cloud Services: For production or more complex staging environments, consider managed PostgreSQL services from cloud providers like AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, or specialized platforms like Supabase.

2. Project Setup and Language/Framework Choice

Choose your preferred technology stack. PostgreSQL integrates well with nearly all popular programming languages and frameworks.

• Languages: Python, Node.js (JavaScript/TypeScript), Go, Java, Ruby, C#, PHP, etc.
• Web Frameworks: Django, FastAPI (Python), Express.js, NestJS (Node.js), Gin (Go), Spring Boot (Java), Ruby on Rails (Ruby), ASP.NET Core (C#), Laravel (PHP).
• Database Drivers/ORMs: Use a library to connect and interact with PostgreSQL.
  • Python: psycopg2, SQLAlchemy (ORM), Django ORM.
  • Node.js: pg, Sequelize (ORM), TypeORM.
  • Go: database/sql with github.com/lib/pq, GORM (ORM).
  • Java: JDBC driver, Hibernate (ORM).

3. Version Control with Git and GitHub

Host your application code on GitHub to leverage Git’s version control capabilities, collaboration features, and integration with development tools.

1. Initialize a Git Repository:
   bash
git init
2. Create a .gitignore file:
   Include files and directories you don’t want to commit, such as node_modules, .env files, build artifacts, and database-specific temporary files.
3. Add your code and make your first commit:
   bash
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
4. Create a new repository on GitHub and push your local repository:
   bash
git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo-name.git
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

4. Database Schema Management (Migrations)

As your application evolves, your database schema will change. Migration tools allow you to manage these changes systematically and version-control them alongside your application code.

• Most modern web frameworks (Django, Rails, Laravel, TypeORM) come with built-in migration systems.
• For other setups, dedicated migration libraries like Flyway (Java), golang-migrate (Go), or Knex.js (Node.js) are available.
• Version Control: Commit your migration files to your GitHub repository. This ensures that all developers and CI/CD pipelines can apply the correct database schema for any given version of your application.

5. Integrating GitHub into Your Development Workflow

GitHub provides powerful features to streamline your development process.

• Branching Strategies: Adopt a branching strategy (e.g., Git Flow, GitHub Flow) where you create feature branches for new development or bug fixes.
• Pull Requests (PRs): Use PRs for code review, ensuring quality and collaboration. Your team can review changes, discuss potential issues, and approve before merging into your main branch.
• CI/CD with GitHub Actions: Automate your development pipeline. GitHub Actions can be configured to:
  • Run tests whenever new code is pushed.
  • Lint and format your code.
  • Build Docker images of your application.
  • Apply Database Migrations: In deployment workflows, GitHub Actions can connect to your database and run any pending migrations.
  • Deploy your application to staging or production environments.
• Database Branching (Advanced): Some platforms, like Supabase, offer “database branching.” This allows you to create isolated PostgreSQL database instances for each GitHub branch, mirroring your application’s development workflow. This is incredibly useful for testing database schema changes in isolated environments before merging to your main branch.

6. Best Practices for PostgreSQL Development with GitHub

• Environment Variables: Never hardcode database credentials or other sensitive information in your code. Use environment variables (e.g., in a .env file for local development, or secrets in CI/CD).
• README.md: Provide clear instructions in your README.md on how to set up the development environment, including how to get PostgreSQL running (e.g., Docker commands).
• docker-compose.yml: If using Docker, include a docker-compose.yml that sets up both your application and your PostgreSQL database, making it easy for new contributors to get started.
• Database Seeding: Include scripts or migration steps to populate your development database with sample data.

Conclusion

Whether you aspire to contribute to the core PostgreSQL project or build robust applications powered by it, understanding how to integrate your efforts with Git and GitHub is crucial. By following these guidelines, you can effectively manage your code, collaborate with others, and leverage the power of PostgreSQL in a modern development workflow. Dive in, explore the vast ecosystem, and become part of the vibrant PostgreSQL community!