Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 12:49:49 -0800 (PST)
From: David Johnston <polobo@yahoo.com>
To: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Message-ID: <1383598189237-5776910.post@n5.nabble.com>
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Subject: Re: BI tools and PostgreSQL
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Victor Tan wrote
> BI tools all generate SQL with varying levels of optimization.  However,
> do
> any of you know of any BI tools that are more PostgreSQL aware in that
> they
> can generate queries that take advantage of extensions like hstore, arrays
> etc?
> 
> Hstore and JSON data types use non-standard syntax within PostgreSQL - not
> that I know of anything in the SQL standards that say how to handle KV
> types in the style of hstore.
> 
> Which BI tools, if any, either are aware of PostgreSQL in this way or at
> least minimize hindrances to using these types of data types or
> extensions?
> 
> - Victor Tan

Native support is probably "zero" as Simon is implying.

Most BI ends up needing scalar values for calculations and display.  Two
dynamics resulting because of this: either you have to supply your own SQL
in the BI tool and perform the needed conversions or you can create a BI
integration layer within your model so the tools can hit pre-defined schema
with the conversions already in place and the SQL the tools generate can be
used as-is.

I get what you are saying but all I am coming up with more questions to ask
regarding your use-case.  For better and worse most tool developers want to
be vendor agnostic to the largest degree possible.  The good news is there
are a number of open-source projects that may suffice and that with a strong
enough need a PostgreSQL specific module could be developed.  Unless you are
willing to try and sponsor some of that work I'd suggest being open with you
needs and desires and give others a chance to buy into and leverage the
ideas and suggestions and thus ideally increase the demand for such.

David J.


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