PL/Rust Project Description

What is the project about?

PL/Rust is a loadable procedural language handler for PostgreSQL that allows developers to write database functions using the Rust programming language. These functions are compiled to native machine code, offering performance benefits over interpreted languages.

What problem does it solve?

PL/Rust addresses the need for high-performance, safe, and feature-rich database functions. It allows leveraging Rust's strengths (performance, safety, and a large ecosystem) within PostgreSQL. It offers an alternative to traditional procedural languages like PL/pgSQL, which are interpreted.

What are the features of the project?

• Native Compilation: Rust functions are compiled to native machine code, maximizing performance.
• Rust Ecosystem Access: Leverage the extensive Rust libraries and tools.
• Compile-Time Safety: Benefit from Rust's strong type system and memory safety guarantees.
• Postgres SPI Access: Interact with Postgres' Server Programming Interface (SPI) for dynamic queries, prepared statements, and cursors.
• Safe Data Type Handling: Provides safe Rust wrappers for common Postgres data types (TEXT, INT, NUMERIC, JSON, arrays, etc.).
• Trigger Functions: Supports writing trigger functions in Rust.
• Trusted/Untrusted Modes: Can operate as a "trusted" language on supported platforms (x86_64 and aarch64 Linux), providing enhanced security. Usable as "untrusted" on other platforms.
• pgrx Integration: Built using the pgrx framework, making each PL/Rust function a mini-pgrx extension.
• Cross-Compilation Support: Offers support for cross-compilation to different target architectures.
• Configurability: Provides configuration options via postgresql.conf, environment variables, and lints.

What are the technologies used in the project?

• Rust: The core programming language.
• PostgreSQL: The target database system.
• pgrx: A Rust framework for building PostgreSQL extensions.
• Cargo: Rust's build system and package manager.
• cargo-pgrx: A Cargo extension for managing pgrx projects.
• JSON: Used for storing compiled function metadata in pg_catalog.pg_proc.

What are the benefits of the project?

• Performance: Native compilation leads to significantly faster execution compared to interpreted languages.
• Safety: Rust's memory safety and strong typing reduce the risk of common programming errors.
• Productivity: Access to Rust's ecosystem and tooling can speed up development.
• Maintainability: Rust's features promote writing cleaner, more maintainable code.
• Extensibility: Easily integrate with other Rust libraries and extend PostgreSQL functionality.

What are the use cases of the project?

• High-Performance Database Functions: Creating functions that require optimal execution speed, such as complex calculations or data transformations.
• Custom Data Processing: Implementing custom logic for data validation, aggregation, or manipulation within the database.
• Trigger Logic: Developing triggers that respond to database events with complex Rust code.
• Integration with External Systems: Using Rust libraries to connect PostgreSQL to other services or APIs.
• Extending PostgreSQL Functionality: Adding new features or capabilities to PostgreSQL using Rust's power and flexibility.