[Pljava-dev] pljava talk at javaone

On Nov 16, 2007 9:12 AM, Thomas Hallgren <thomas at tada.se> wrote:
> I think it would be great if you could combine. First some slides where you go over what PL/Java
> really is and then round up with a demo.

Sorry, I forwarded my kinda rushed abstract / outline through to Josh,
but didn't CC the list. Here it is... anything missing / obviously
stupid?

Thanks

Tom

Title: Knee Deep in the Data: Using PL/Java to Write Custom Functions
for PostgreSQL.

Abstract:
PL/Java is a PostgreSQL procedural language that allows developers to
write functions and triggers for the PostgreSQL open source database
using Java. This allows Java developers to get deeper into the
development stack, without having to leave Java's second-to-none
toolset and huge set of available libraries.

The talk will describe the overall design of PL/Java and under what
circumstances it is a useful tool for Java developers. A demo of how
to use PL/Java to write database functions and triggers will follow,
including a demonstration of using a IDE debugger to step through a
function mid-transaction.

Prerequisite knowledge: general use of SQL and JDBC. Demo may include
use of JPA.

Summary / Outline:

- What's the problem?
- Performance
- Access to libraries

- Introducing PostgreSQL
- Open Source, with support from Sun, Red Hat et al
- Highly flexible
- Other PL's

- PL/Java
- Brief history
- Design - embedded JVM rather than separate process

- Example problem
- Explain why standard JDBC/JPA less than ideal
- If only we could do this...

- Demonstration
- Write database function in IDE
- Show deployment steps
- Drive from JDBC/JPA application

- Another example: a trigger
- Data validation / correction using 3rd party library (e.g. HTML Tidy)
- Show how to write and deploy trigger

- Why not use other, more established PostgreSQL PL's?
- Java devs familiar with Java
- Other imperative PL's can't do this:

- Debugging
- Attach IDE debugger to PostgreSQL backed process
- Set breakpoints, poke around data etc

- Embedded JDBC Driver
- Uses PostgreSQL SPI interface

- Extensible Types
- PostgreSQL's User Defined Types
- Enums
- Completely different
- Can be interacted with using PL/Java
- Could write a UDT using PL/Java!

- Future
- Upcoming / Blue Sky Features

- Q & A

Code Samples: Code from function and trigger demonstrations.