Getting Started with PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL isn’t just another database; it’s a powerful, open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that’s been quietly revolutionizing data management for decades. Unlike some databases that prioritize speed above all else, PostgreSQL emphasizes both speed and data integrity, offering a robust set of features including advanced data types, powerful extensions, and a commitment to standards compliance. Think of it as the sophisticated, reliable friend you can always count on to handle your data with care – and impressive speed. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting your database journey, PostgreSQL offers a wealth of possibilities.

A SQLite database, which is included with Django, is excellent for testing and troubleshooting early in a project.

It isn’t really appropriate for manufacturing, though.

These database engines are also supported by Django:

• PostgreSQL
• MariaDB
• MySQL
• Oracle

We will examine the PostgreSQL database engine in more detail.

PostgreSQL

An open source relational database, PostgreSQL should meet the majority of your needs when building a database for a Django project.

It is dependable, well-regarded, and effective in the majority of situations.

A PostgreSQL database will be incorporated into our Django app.

Installing psycopg2 is required in order to use PostgreSQL in Django.

Getting Started with psycopg2

To install the package, type this command in the command line. Verify that you are still in the virtual world:

pip install psycopg2-binary

This is the expected outcome:

Collecting psycopg2-binary
  Downloading psycopg2_binary-2.9.5-cp39-cp39-win_amd64.whl (1.2 MB)
    |████████████████████████████████| 1.2 MB 3.3 MB/s
Installing collected packages: psycopg2-binary
Successfully installed psycopg2-binary-2.9.5
WARNING: You are using pip version 20.2.3; however, version 22.3.1 is available. You should consider upgrading via the 'c:\users\Your Name\myworld\scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip' command.

PostgreSQL requires the psycopg2 package as a driver in order to function in Python.

Additionally, we require a server on which to house the database.

Setting Up Your AWS Account

Django applications and PostgreSQL databases can be hosted by a variety of providers.

The primary reason we will utilize the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform in this tutorial is that they provide a free option that can host PostgreSQL databases and Django applications. AWS accounts are all you need.

Note: You can select any server provider you like, and they will all probably offer you with a satisfactory outcome. However, when following this tutorial, you should be mindful of certain provider-specific parameters.

AWS

Create an account on aws.amazon.com:

Sign In

Once your AWS account has been created, it’s time to log in for the first time:

AWS Control Panel

You will be taken to the AWS Console Home page if this is your first time logging into your AWS account:

Setting up RDS

You can begin building a database as soon as you have an AWS account.

We’ll make advantage of RDS, an AWS database service.

To begin the service, type “RDS” into the search bar and click:

After the service has begun, you ought to see something similar to this:

Setting up a PostgreSQL Database

Within the RDS service, either click the “Create database” button or navigate to the Database area to create a database:

Configuration

After you begin building a database, you will be presented with options regarding the database’s type and configuration.

The following settings can be used to incorporate a PostgreSQL database into your Django project:

Standard Creation Process

Using the PostgreSQL Engine

Free Tier Template Configuration

Database Access Information

Any name, username, and password are acceptable:

Retain Default Instance Configuration:

Turn Off Storage Autoscaling

Turning on storage autoscaling can be beneficial, but it is not required for this lesson.

Enable Public Access and Create a New Security Group

Give the security group a name; “w3-django” will be our choice:

Retain Default Database Authentication:

Maintain Default Monitoring:

Select “Create Database”