About PGXN
==========

PGXN, the PostgreSQL Extension network, is a central distribution system for
open-source PostgreSQL extension libraries. It consists of four basic parts:

[PGXN Manager]
:   An upload and distribution infrastructure for extension developers.

[PGXN API]
:   A centralized index and API of distribution metadata.

[PGXN Search]
:   This site, for searching extensions and perusing their documentation.

[PGXN Client]
:   A command-line client for downloading, testing, and installing extensions.

The network currently consists of:

* [_1] Extensions
* [_2] Distributions
* [_3] Releases
* [_4] Users
* [_5] Tags
* [_6] Mirrors

### Why? ###

One of the primary distinguishing features of [PostgreSQL]—and perhaps the
number one reason to use it instead of another DBMS—is its extensibility and the
large number of database extensions already available: [PostGIS], [ISN],
[hstore], [pgTAP], [PL/R], [PL/Proxy], and more. Especially with the formal
support for [extensions], PostgreSQL today is not merely a database, it’s an
application development platform. However, many of these extensions are
virtually unknown even among experienced users because they are hard to find.

PGXN solves the “hard to find” issue by providing centralized listings and
searchable documentation for PostgreSQL extensions. Here you can easily search
through extensions, browse their documentation, and download and install those
that fill your needs. The site is structured to maximize the ability to find
appropriate extensions and their documentation through search engines. Our hope
is that the high visibility of PostgreSQL’s extensibility and the array of
available extensions will drive PostgreSQL adoption by new users and application
developers, expanding our community and ensuring another 10 years of the
PostgreSQL Project.

### Who’s Responsible for This? ###

Thanks to our [terrific donors], [I am]. I’m David Wheeler, inveterate Perl and
PostgreSQL hacker. I love the [extensibility of PostgreSQL] and have long been a
fan of [CPAN], the Perl community’s distributed collection of Perl software and
documentation. But PostgreSQL’s extensibility is not well-known, and it’s
difficult to find the extensions that do exist. PGXN is my attempt to solve that
problem.

### Want to Help? ####

The source code for all the parts of PGXN are on [GitHub]. Please feel free to
fork and send merge requests! And join the discussion in the [Google Group].

### Colophon ###

The pgxn.org design is based on [LazyDays] by [Fullahead], set in
[Trebuchet MS], and features icons by [Icons8]. Strongrrl designed the
[graphic identity].

This site eschews JavaScript, and uses no tracking or analytics services.

  [PGXN Manager]: https://manager.pgxn.org/
  [PGXN API]: https://github.com/pgxn/pgxn-api/wiki/
  [PGXN Search]: https://pgxn.org/
  [PGXN Client]: https://pgxn.github.io/pgxnclient/
  [PostgreSQL]: https://www.postgresql.org/
  [PostGIS]: https://postgis.net/
  [ISN]: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/isn.html
  [hstore]: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/hstore.html
  [pgTAP]: https://pgtap.org/
  [PL/R]: https://github.com/postgres-plr/plr
  [PL/Proxy]: https://plproxy.github.io
  [pgmemcache]: https://pgfoundry.org/projects/pgmemcache/
  [extensions]: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/extend-extensions.html
    "PostgreSQL Documentation: “Packaging Related Objects into an Extension”"
  [terrific donors]: https://pgxn.org/donors/
  [I am]: https://justatheory.com/ "Just a Theory"
  [extensibility of PostgreSQL]: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/extend.html
    "PostgreSQL Documentation: Extending SQL”"
  [CPAN]: https://www.cpan.org/
  [GitHub]: https://github.com/pgxn/ "PGXN on GitHub"
  [Google Group]: https://groups.google.com/group/pgxn-users "PGXN Users Group"
  [LazyDays]: https://fullahead.org/projects/lazydays/
  [Fullahead]: https://fullahead.org/
  [Trebuchet MS]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/font-list/trebuchet-ms
  [Icons8]: https://icons8.github.io/flat-color-icons/ "Flat Color Icons by Icons8"
  [graphic identity]: https://pgxn.org/art/
