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2 <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><title>F.8. btree_gist — GiST operator classes with B-tree behavior</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" /><link rev="made" href="pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org" /><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets Vsnapshot" /><link rel="prev" href="btree-gin.html" title="F.7. btree_gin — GIN operator classes with B-tree behavior" /><link rel="next" href="citext.html" title="F.9. citext — a case-insensitive character string type" /></head><body id="docContent" class="container-fluid col-10"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="5" align="center">F.8. btree_gist — GiST operator classes with B-tree behavior</th></tr><tr><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="btree-gin.html" title="F.7. btree_gin — GIN operator classes with B-tree behavior">Prev</a> </td><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="u" href="contrib.html" title="Appendix F. Additional Supplied Modules and Extensions">Up</a></td><th width="60%" align="center">Appendix F. Additional Supplied Modules and Extensions</th><td width="10%" align="right"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 18.0 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="10%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="citext.html" title="F.9. citext — a case-insensitive character string type">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr /></div><div class="sect1" id="BTREE-GIST"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">F.8. btree_gist — GiST operator classes with B-tree behavior <a href="#BTREE-GIST" class="id_link">#</a></h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="btree-gist.html#BTREE-GIST-EXAMPLE-USAGE">F.8.1. Example Usage</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="btree-gist.html#BTREE-GIST-AUTHORS">F.8.2. Authors</a></span></dt></dl></div><a id="id-1.11.7.18.2" class="indexterm"></a><p>
3 <code class="filename">btree_gist</code> provides GiST index operator classes that
4 implement B-tree equivalent behavior for the data types
5 <code class="type">int2</code>, <code class="type">int4</code>, <code class="type">int8</code>, <code class="type">float4</code>,
6 <code class="type">float8</code>, <code class="type">numeric</code>, <code class="type">timestamp with time zone</code>,
7 <code class="type">timestamp without time zone</code>, <code class="type">time with time zone</code>,
8 <code class="type">time without time zone</code>, <code class="type">date</code>, <code class="type">interval</code>,
9 <code class="type">oid</code>, <code class="type">money</code>, <code class="type">char</code>,
10 <code class="type">varchar</code>, <code class="type">text</code>, <code class="type">bytea</code>, <code class="type">bit</code>,
11 <code class="type">varbit</code>, <code class="type">macaddr</code>, <code class="type">macaddr8</code>, <code class="type">inet</code>,
12 <code class="type">cidr</code>, <code class="type">uuid</code>, <code class="type">bool</code> and all <code class="type">enum</code> types.
14 In general, these operator classes will not outperform the equivalent
15 standard B-tree index methods, and they lack one major feature of the
16 standard B-tree code: the ability to enforce uniqueness. However,
17 they provide some other features that are not available with a B-tree
18 index, as described below. Also, these operator classes are useful
19 when a multicolumn GiST index is needed, wherein some of the columns
20 are of data types that are only indexable with GiST but other columns
21 are just simple data types. Lastly, these operator classes are useful for
22 GiST testing and as a base for developing other GiST operator classes.
24 In addition to the typical B-tree search operators, <code class="filename">btree_gist</code>
25 also provides index support for <code class="literal"><></code> (<span class="quote">“<span class="quote">not
26 equals</span>”</span>). This may be useful in combination with an
27 <a class="link" href="sql-createtable.html#SQL-CREATETABLE-EXCLUDE">exclusion constraint</a>,
30 Also, for data types for which there is a natural distance metric,
31 <code class="filename">btree_gist</code> defines a distance operator <code class="literal"><-></code>,
32 and provides GiST index support for nearest-neighbor searches using
33 this operator. Distance operators are provided for
34 <code class="type">int2</code>, <code class="type">int4</code>, <code class="type">int8</code>, <code class="type">float4</code>,
35 <code class="type">float8</code>, <code class="type">timestamp with time zone</code>,
36 <code class="type">timestamp without time zone</code>,
37 <code class="type">time without time zone</code>, <code class="type">date</code>, <code class="type">interval</code>,
38 <code class="type">oid</code>, and <code class="type">money</code>.
40 By default <code class="filename">btree_gist</code> builds <acronym class="acronym">GiST</acronym> index with
41 <code class="function">sortsupport</code> in <em class="firstterm">sorted</em> mode. This usually results in
42 much faster index built speed. It is still possible to revert to buffered built strategy
43 by using the <code class="literal">buffering</code> parameter when creating the index.
45 This module is considered <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">trusted</span>”</span>, that is, it can be
46 installed by non-superusers who have <code class="literal">CREATE</code> privilege
47 on the current database.
48 </p><div class="sect2" id="BTREE-GIST-EXAMPLE-USAGE"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">F.8.1. Example Usage <a href="#BTREE-GIST-EXAMPLE-USAGE" class="id_link">#</a></h3></div></div></div><p>
49 Simple example using <code class="literal">btree_gist</code> instead of <code class="literal">btree</code>:
50 </p><pre class="programlisting">
51 CREATE TABLE test (a int4);
53 CREATE INDEX testidx ON test USING GIST (a);
55 SELECT * FROM test WHERE a < 10;
56 -- nearest-neighbor search: find the ten entries closest to "42"
57 SELECT *, a <-> 42 AS dist FROM test ORDER BY a <-> 42 LIMIT 10;
59 Use an <a class="link" href="sql-createtable.html#SQL-CREATETABLE-EXCLUDE">exclusion
60 constraint</a> to enforce the rule that a cage at a zoo
61 can contain only one kind of animal:
62 </p><pre class="programlisting">
63 => CREATE TABLE zoo (
66 EXCLUDE USING GIST (cage WITH =, animal WITH <>)
69 => INSERT INTO zoo VALUES(123, 'zebra');
71 => INSERT INTO zoo VALUES(123, 'zebra');
73 => INSERT INTO zoo VALUES(123, 'lion');
74 ERROR: conflicting key value violates exclusion constraint "zoo_cage_animal_excl"
75 DETAIL: Key (cage, animal)=(123, lion) conflicts with existing key (cage, animal)=(123, zebra).
76 => INSERT INTO zoo VALUES(124, 'lion');
78 </pre></div><div class="sect2" id="BTREE-GIST-AUTHORS"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">F.8.2. Authors <a href="#BTREE-GIST-AUTHORS" class="id_link">#</a></h3></div></div></div><p>
79 Teodor Sigaev (<code class="email"><<a class="email" href="mailto:teodor@stack.net">teodor@stack.net</a>></code>),
80 Oleg Bartunov (<code class="email"><<a class="email" href="mailto:oleg@sai.msu.su">oleg@sai.msu.su</a>></code>),
81 Janko Richter (<code class="email"><<a class="email" href="mailto:jankorichter@yahoo.de">jankorichter@yahoo.de</a>></code>), and
82 Paul Jungwirth (<code class="email"><<a class="email" href="mailto:pj@illuminatedcomputing.com">pj@illuminatedcomputing.com</a>></code>). See
83 <a class="ulink" href="http://www.sai.msu.su/~megera/postgres/gist/" target="_top">http://www.sai.msu.su/~megera/postgres/gist/</a>
84 for additional information.
85 </p></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr /><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="btree-gin.html" title="F.7. btree_gin — GIN operator classes with B-tree behavior">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="contrib.html" title="Appendix F. Additional Supplied Modules and Extensions">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="citext.html" title="F.9. citext — a case-insensitive character string type">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">F.7. btree_gin — GIN operator classes with B-tree behavior </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 18.0 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> F.9. citext — a case-insensitive character string type</td></tr></table></div></body></html>