The purpose of documentation is to make Postgres easier to learn, use, and develop. The documentation set should describe the Postgres system, language, and interfaces. It should be able to answer common questions and to allow a user to find those answers on his own without resorting to mailing list support.
Postgres has four primary documentation formats:
Plain text for pre-installation information.
HTML, for on-line browsing and reference.
Hardcopy, for in-depth reading and reference.
man pages, for quick reference.
Table DG2-1. Postgres Documentation Products
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| ./COPYRIGHT | Copyright notice |
| ./INSTALL | Installation instructions (text from sgml->rtf->text) |
| ./README | Introductory info |
| ./register.txt | Registration message during make |
| ./doc/bug.template | Bug report template |
| ./doc/postgres.tar.gz | Integrated docs (HTML) |
| ./doc/programmer.ps.gz | Programmer's Guide (Postscript) |
| ./doc/programmer.tar.gz | Programmer's Guide (HTML) |
| ./doc/reference.ps.gz | Reference Manual (Postscript) |
| ./doc/reference.tar.gz | Reference Manual (HTML) |
| ./doc/tutorial.ps.gz | Introduction (Postscript) |
| ./doc/tutorial.tar.gz | Introduction (HTML) |
| ./doc/user.ps.gz | User's Guide (Postscript) |
| ./doc/user.tar.gz | User's Guide (HTML) |
There are man pages available, as well as a large number of plain-text README-type files throughout the Postgres source tree.