--- title: "Summer reading tip: the SQL:2023 spec" publication: "Postgres Weekly" issue: 509 published_at: "2023-06-07" canonical_url: "https://postgresweekly.com/issues/509" --- Plus a Postgres stream taking place in a few hours, . | #​509 — June 7, 2023 [Web Version](https://postgresweekly.com/issues/509) Together with [![Crunchydata\](https://res.cloudinary.com/cpress/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto,w_430,h_100/e_make_transparent/co_white,e_outline:7/xyflkz7n00elwtgja9ne.png)](https://www.crunchydata.com/products/crunchy-bridge?utm_source=cppg-prim-0607) Postgres Weekly [![\](https://res.cloudinary.com/cpress/image/upload/w_1280,e_sharpen:60,q_auto/ietlsmbvnjgcc7ih2bjp.jpg)](https://www.crunchydata.com/blog/high-compression-metrics-stograge-with-postgres-hyperloglog) [High-Compression Metrics Storage with Hyperloglog](https://www.crunchydata.com/blog/high-compression-metrics-stograge-with-postgres-hyperloglog) — [postgresql-hll](https://github.com/citusdata/postgresql-hll) is an extension introducing the [HyperLogLog algorithm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperLogLog) to Postgres. HyperLogLog is a probabilistic algorithm to efficiently estimate the number of distinct values in large datasets, trading a little precision for noteworthy time and memory savings. Christopher Winslett [What is a Postgres 'Schema'](https://www.cybertec-postgresql.com/en/what-is-a-schema-in-postgresql/) — The term _schema_ has multiple meanings in the database world, but in Postgres schemas are named containers that can contain other named objects like tables, data types, and functions, somewhat akin to a namespace. Hans-Jürgen Schönig [![\](https://copm.s3.amazonaws.com/34ffa2f3.png)](https://www.crunchydata.com/products/crunchy-bridge?utm_source=cppg-prim-0607) [❤️ Postgres](https://www.crunchydata.com/products/crunchy-bridge?utm_source=cppg-prim-0607) — You need a database provider that loves Postgres as much as you do. We'll take care of all the hassle - monitoring, backups, HA, disaster recovery so you don't have to. Want amazing support? We'll be there when you have questions. Crunchy Bridge sponsor [A Guide to PgBouncer/Postgres Compatibility](https://jpcamara.com/2023/05/25/a-comprehensive-guide.html) — [PgBouncer](https://www.pgbouncer.org/) is a popular connection pooler but [not every Postgres feature works with it.](https://jpcamara.com/2023/04/12/pgbouncer-is-useful.html) If you’re trying to debug PgBouncer issues, this is for you and this post tries to make it easier to navigate [the more extensive writeup.](https://jpcamara.com/2023/04/12/pgbouncer-is-useful.html) JP Camara **IN BRIEF:** - Standards organization ISO has published the latest SQL spec: [SQL:2023](https://www.iso.org/standard/76584.html). With _the core section alone_ clocking in at 1715 pages and ~$200, it's sure to be a sleeper hit. We refer to Peter Eisentraut's recent [round up of what's new in SQL:2023](https://peter.eisentraut.org/blog/2023/04/04/sql-2023-is-finished-here-is-whats-new) and the [status of SQL:2023 features in Postgres](https://peter.eisentraut.org/blog/2023/04/18/postgresql-and-sql-2023) if you want to dig deeper _without_ nodding off. - Instaclustr's Sharan Foga is the [PostgreSQL Person of the Week.](https://postgresql.life/post/sharan_foga/) Relatively new to Postgres, she's excited to engage with the community 👋 - 📅 If you're reading this issue in time, there's a live [▶️ The Future of the Postgres Ecosystem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrX-SIF46Us) roundtable discussion taking place _today_ at 10am Pacific (1pm ET, 6pm BST, 7pm CEST), just a few hours after we send this issue. Folks from Yugabyte, NeonDB, CoreDB, Google, PGEdge, and others will be present. [An SQL Recipe: Comparing with Neighbors](https://antonz.org/sql-compare-neighbors/) — If you need to calculate the difference between records and the previous or next ones, the `LAG()` window function is for you. Anton gives us some examples of its use. _(If you missed our interview with him about window functions last week, it’s at the bottom of [issue 508.](https://postgresweekly.com/issues/508))_ Anton Zhiyanov [The Future of OpenAI for Postgres on Azure](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-database-for-postgresql/openai-chatgpt-retrieval-plugin-and-postgresql-on-azure/ba-p/3826411) — ChatGPT supports plugins as a way to provide the popular chatbot / LLM with data to formulate replies. This post explains the broad concepts and shows how a combination of plugins and storing embeddings with pgvector could open up new querying opportunities. Krishnakumar Ravi (Microsoft) ▶[Why Giving Talks at Postgres Conferences Matters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIvG_2ErRlU) — With Alvaro Herrera and Boriss Mejias. Citus Data [Postgres Roles and Privileges Explained](https://www.aviator.co/blog/postgresql-roles-and-privileges-explained/) Masaya Suzuki Code and Tools [![\](https://res.cloudinary.com/cpress/image/upload/w_1280,e_sharpen:60,q_auto/weyfqukne4wztlryxab2.jpg)](https://github.com/schemaspy/schemaspy) [SchemaSpy: Database Documentation Built Easily](https://github.com/schemaspy/schemaspy) — A long-standing tool that analyzes your database’s metadata, schema, and other information to help you visualize, check, and understand your data model via an HTML report. SchemaSpy [[Open Source\] Columnar, Vectorized Postgres](https://github.com/hydradatabase/hydra) HYDRA sponsor [pgsql-ast-parser 11.1: A Simple Postgres SQL Parser](https://github.com/oguimbal/pgsql-ast-parser) — A TypeScript-based SQL syntax parser that can produce a typed AST for most queries (PL/pgSQL isn't supported). It’s used as part of the author’s [pg-mem project](https://github.com/oguimbal/pg-mem), a mini, in-memory Postgres clone for Node and the browser. Olivier Guimbal [Goxygen 0.4: Go Backend Generator for JavaScript Projects](https://github.com/Shpota/goxygen) — A tool that sets up a new Go-based project with Angular, React, or Vue in the front-end, and Docker and Docker Compose files to make it all work. Supports Postgres, MySQL or MongoDB as the database. Sasha Shpota 📧 Do we have a Go newsletter too? [We do.](https://golangweekly.com/) - [FerretDB 1.3](https://github.com/FerretDB/FerretDB) ↳ MongoDB alternative with Postgres under the hood. - [DBeaver 23.1](https://github.com/dbeaver/dbeaver/releases/tag/23.1.0) ↳ Popular cross-platform database IDE. - [Skunk 0.6](https://typelevel.org/skunk/) ↳ Postgres client for Scala developers. - [PostgresML 2.5.1](https://github.com/postgresml/postgresml/releases/tag/v2.5.1) ↳ Machine learning in SQL. - [pgAdmin 4 v7.2](https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/pgadmin-4-v72-released-2647/) **Got a new email?** You can [change your address here](https://postgresweekly.com/edit_subscription/*|UID|*). --- **Bored of us?** [Click here to stop getting Postgres Weekly](https://postgresweekly.com/leave/*|UID|*). --- **Got a link for us?** Reply and tell us. We can't include everything but we'll look at anything you send. _Thanks!_ --- Published by Cooper Press Ltd. 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