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AWS Time-Series Database: Understanding Your OptionsStationary Time-Series AnalysisThe Best Time-Series Databases ComparedTime-Series Analysis and Forecasting With Python Alternatives to TimescaleWhat Are Open-Source Time-Series Databases—Understanding Your OptionsWhy Consider Using PostgreSQL for Time-Series Data?Time-Series Analysis in RWhat Is Temporal Data?What Is a Time Series and How Is It Used?Is Your Data Time Series? Data Types Supported by PostgreSQL and TimescaleUnderstanding Database Workloads: Variable, Bursty, and Uniform PatternsHow to Work With Time Series in Python?Tools for Working With Time-Series Analysis in PythonGuide to Time-Series Analysis in PythonUnderstanding Autoregressive Time-Series ModelingCreating a Fast Time-Series Graph With Postgres Materialized Views
Understanding PostgreSQLOptimizing Your Database: A Deep Dive into PostgreSQL Data TypesUnderstanding FROM in PostgreSQL (With Examples)How to Address ‘Error: Could Not Resize Shared Memory Segment’ How to Install PostgreSQL on MacOSUnderstanding FILTER in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding GROUP BY in PostgreSQL (With Examples)PostgreSQL Join Type TheoryA Guide to PostgreSQL ViewsStructured vs. Semi-Structured vs. Unstructured Data in PostgreSQLUnderstanding Foreign Keys in PostgreSQLUnderstanding PostgreSQL User-Defined FunctionsUnderstanding PostgreSQL's COALESCE FunctionUnderstanding SQL Aggregate FunctionsUsing PostgreSQL UPDATE With JOINHow to Install PostgreSQL on Linux5 Common Connection Errors in PostgreSQL and How to Solve ThemUnderstanding HAVING in PostgreSQL (With Examples)How to Fix No Partition of Relation Found for Row in Postgres DatabasesHow to Fix Transaction ID Wraparound ExhaustionUnderstanding LIMIT in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding PostgreSQL FunctionsUnderstanding ORDER BY in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding WINDOW in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding PostgreSQL WITHIN GROUPPostgreSQL Mathematical Functions: Enhancing Coding EfficiencyUnderstanding DISTINCT in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Using PostgreSQL String Functions for Improved Data AnalysisData Processing With PostgreSQL Window FunctionsPostgreSQL Joins : A SummaryUnderstanding OFFSET in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding PostgreSQL Date and Time FunctionsWhat Is Data Compression and How Does It Work?What Is Data Transformation, and Why Is It Important?Understanding the Postgres string_agg FunctionWhat Is a PostgreSQL Left Join? And a Right Join?Understanding PostgreSQL SELECTSelf-Hosted or Cloud Database? A Countryside Reflection on Infrastructure ChoicesUnderstanding ACID Compliance Understanding percentile_cont() and percentile_disc() in PostgreSQLUnderstanding PostgreSQL Conditional FunctionsUnderstanding PostgreSQL Array FunctionsWhat Characters Are Allowed in PostgreSQL Strings?Understanding WHERE in PostgreSQL (With Examples)What Is a PostgreSQL Full Outer Join?What Is a PostgreSQL Cross Join?What Is a PostgreSQL Inner Join?Data Partitioning: What It Is and Why It MattersStrategies for Improving Postgres JOIN PerformanceUnderstanding the Postgres extract() FunctionUnderstanding the rank() and dense_rank() Functions in PostgreSQL
Guide to PostgreSQL PerformanceHow to Reduce Bloat in Large PostgreSQL TablesDesigning Your Database Schema: Wide vs. Narrow Postgres TablesBest Practices for Time-Series Data Modeling: Single or Multiple Partitioned Table(s) a.k.a. Hypertables Best Practices for (Time-)Series Metadata Tables A Guide to Data Analysis on PostgreSQLA Guide to Scaling PostgreSQLGuide to PostgreSQL SecurityHandling Large Objects in PostgresHow to Query JSON Metadata in PostgreSQLHow to Query JSONB in PostgreSQLHow to Use PostgreSQL for Data TransformationOptimizing Array Queries With GIN Indexes in PostgreSQLPg_partman vs. Hypertables for Postgres PartitioningPostgreSQL Performance Tuning: Designing and Implementing Your Database SchemaPostgreSQL Performance Tuning: Key ParametersPostgreSQL Performance Tuning: Optimizing Database IndexesDetermining the Optimal Postgres Partition SizeNavigating Growing PostgreSQL Tables With Partitioning (and More)Top PostgreSQL Drivers for PythonWhen to Consider Postgres PartitioningGuide to PostgreSQL Database OperationsUnderstanding PostgreSQL TablespacesWhat Is Audit Logging and How to Enable It in PostgreSQLGuide to Postgres Data ManagementHow to Index JSONB Columns in PostgreSQLHow to Monitor and Optimize PostgreSQL Index PerformanceSQL/JSON Data Model and JSON in SQL: A PostgreSQL PerspectiveA Guide to pg_restore (and pg_restore Example)PostgreSQL Performance Tuning: How to Size Your DatabaseAn Intro to Data Modeling on PostgreSQLExplaining PostgreSQL EXPLAINWhat Is a PostgreSQL Temporary View?A PostgreSQL Database Replication GuideHow to Compute Standard Deviation With PostgreSQLHow PostgreSQL Data Aggregation WorksBuilding a Scalable DatabaseRecursive Query in SQL: What It Is, and How to Write OneGuide to PostgreSQL Database DesignHow to Use Psycopg2: The PostgreSQL Adapter for Python
Best Practices for Scaling PostgreSQLHow to Design Your PostgreSQL Database: Two Schema ExamplesHow to Handle High-Cardinality Data in PostgreSQLHow to Store Video in PostgreSQL Using BYTEABest Practices for PostgreSQL Database OperationsHow to Manage Your Data With Data Retention PoliciesBest Practices for PostgreSQL AggregationBest Practices for Postgres Database ReplicationHow to Use a Common Table Expression (CTE) in SQLBest Practices for Postgres Data ManagementBest Practices for Postgres PerformanceBest Practices for Postgres SecurityBest Practices for PostgreSQL Data AnalysisTesting Postgres Ingest: INSERT vs. Batch INSERT vs. COPYHow to Use PostgreSQL for Data Normalization
PostgreSQL Extensions: amcheckPostgreSQL Extensions: Unlocking Multidimensional Points With Cube PostgreSQL Extensions: hstorePostgreSQL Extensions: ltreePostgreSQL Extensions: Secure Your Time-Series Data With pgcryptoPostgreSQL Extensions: pg_prewarmPostgreSQL Extensions: pgRoutingPostgreSQL Extensions: pg_stat_statementsPostgreSQL Extensions: Install pg_trgm for Data MatchingPostgreSQL Extensions: Turning PostgreSQL Into a Vector Database With pgvectorPostgreSQL Extensions: Database Testing With pgTAPPostgreSQL Extensions: PL/pgSQLPostgreSQL Extensions: Using PostGIS and Timescale for Advanced Geospatial InsightsPostgreSQL Extensions: Intro to uuid-ossp
Columnar Databases vs. Row-Oriented Databases: Which to Choose?Data Analytics vs. Real-Time Analytics: How to Pick Your Database (and Why It Should Be PostgreSQL)How to Choose a Real-Time Analytics DatabaseUnderstanding OLTPOLAP Workloads on PostgreSQL: A GuideHow to Choose an OLAP DatabasePostgreSQL as a Real-Time Analytics DatabaseWhat Is the Best Database for Real-Time AnalyticsHow to Build an IoT Pipeline for Real-Time Analytics in PostgreSQL
When Should You Use Full-Text Search vs. Vector Search?HNSW vs. DiskANNA Brief History of AI: How Did We Get Here, and What's Next?A Beginner’s Guide to Vector EmbeddingsPostgreSQL as a Vector Database: A Pgvector TutorialUsing Pgvector With PythonHow to Choose a Vector DatabaseVector Databases Are the Wrong AbstractionUnderstanding DiskANNA Guide to Cosine SimilarityStreaming DiskANN: How We Made PostgreSQL as Fast as Pinecone for Vector DataImplementing Cosine Similarity in PythonVector Database Basics: HNSWVector Database Options for AWSVector Store vs. Vector Database: Understanding the ConnectionPgvector vs. Pinecone: Vector Database Performance and Cost ComparisonHow to Build LLM Applications With Pgvector Vector Store in LangChainHow to Implement RAG With Amazon Bedrock and LangChainRetrieval-Augmented Generation With Claude Sonnet 3.5 and PgvectorRAG Is More Than Just Vector SearchPostgreSQL Hybrid Search Using Pgvector and CohereImplementing Filtered Semantic Search Using Pgvector and JavaScriptRefining Vector Search Queries With Time Filters in Pgvector: A TutorialUnderstanding Semantic SearchWhat Is Vector Search? Vector Search vs Semantic SearchText-to-SQL: A Developer’s Zero-to-Hero GuideNearest Neighbor Indexes: What Are IVFFlat Indexes in Pgvector and How Do They WorkBuilding an AI Image Gallery With OpenAI CLIP, Claude Sonnet 3.5, and Pgvector
Understanding IoT (Internet of Things)A Beginner’s Guide to IIoT and Industry 4.0Storing IoT Data: 8 Reasons Why You Should Use PostgreSQLMoving Past Legacy Systems: Data Historian vs. Time-Series DatabaseWhy You Should Use PostgreSQL for Industrial IoT DataHow to Choose an IoT DatabaseHow to Simulate a Basic IoT Sensor Dataset on PostgreSQLFrom Ingest to Insights in Milliseconds: Everactive's Tech Transformation With TimescaleHow Ndustrial Is Providing Fast Real-Time Queries and Safely Storing Client Data With 97 % CompressionHow Hopthru Powers Real-Time Transit Analytics From a 1 TB Table Migrating a Low-Code IoT Platform Storing 20M Records/DayHow United Manufacturing Hub Is Introducing Open Source to ManufacturingBuilding IoT Pipelines for Faster Analytics With IoT CoreVisualizing IoT Data at Scale With Hopara and TimescaleDB
What Is ClickHouse and How Does It Compare to PostgreSQL and TimescaleDB for Time Series?Timescale vs. Amazon RDS PostgreSQL: Up to 350x Faster Queries, 44 % Faster Ingest, 95 % Storage Savings for Time-Series DataWhat We Learned From Benchmarking Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL ServerlessTimescaleDB vs. Amazon Timestream: 6,000x Higher Inserts, 5-175x Faster Queries, 150-220x CheaperHow to Store Time-Series Data in MongoDB and Why That’s a Bad IdeaPostgreSQL + TimescaleDB: 1,000x Faster Queries, 90 % Data Compression, and Much MoreEye or the Tiger: Benchmarking Cassandra vs. TimescaleDB for Time-Series Data
Alternatives to RDSWhy Is RDS so Expensive? Understanding RDS Pricing and CostsEstimating RDS CostsHow to Migrate From AWS RDS for PostgreSQL to TimescaleAmazon Aurora vs. RDS: Understanding the Difference
5 InfluxDB Alternatives for Your Time-Series Data8 Reasons to Choose Timescale as Your InfluxDB Alternative InfluxQL, Flux, and SQL: Which Query Language Is Best? (With Cheatsheet)What InfluxDB Got WrongTimescaleDB vs. InfluxDB: Purpose Built Differently for Time-Series Data
5 Ways to Monitor Your PostgreSQL DatabaseHow to Migrate Your Data to Timescale (3 Ways)Postgres TOAST vs. Timescale CompressionBuilding Python Apps With PostgreSQL: A Developer's GuideData Visualization in PostgreSQL With Apache SupersetMore Time-Series Data Analysis, Fewer Lines of Code: Meet HyperfunctionsIs Postgres Partitioning Really That Hard? An Introduction To HypertablesPostgreSQL Materialized Views and Where to Find ThemTimescale Tips: Testing Your Chunk Size
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Postgres clauses

Understanding FROM in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding FILTER in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding HAVING in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding GROUP BY in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding LIMIT in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding ORDER BY in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding WINDOW in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding PostgreSQL WITHIN GROUPUnderstanding DISTINCT in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding WHERE in PostgreSQL (With Examples)Understanding OFFSET in PostgreSQL (With Examples)

Postgres joins

PostgreSQL Joins : A SummaryWhat Is a PostgreSQL Full Outer Join?What Is a PostgreSQL Cross Join?What Is a PostgreSQL Inner Join?What Is a PostgreSQL Left Join? And a Right Join?PostgreSQL Join Type TheoryStrategies for Improving Postgres JOIN Performance

Postgres operations

A Guide to PostgreSQL ViewsData Partitioning: What It Is and Why It MattersWhat Is Data Compression and How Does It Work?Self-Hosted or Cloud Database? A Countryside Reflection on Infrastructure Choices

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Understanding ACID Compliance Structured vs. Semi-Structured vs. Unstructured Data in PostgreSQLUnderstanding Foreign Keys in PostgreSQL

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Understanding PostgreSQL FunctionsPostgreSQL Mathematical Functions: Enhancing Coding EfficiencyUsing PostgreSQL String Functions for Improved Data AnalysisData Processing With PostgreSQL Window FunctionsUnderstanding PostgreSQL Date and Time FunctionsUnderstanding the Postgres string_agg FunctionUnderstanding PostgreSQL User-Defined FunctionsUnderstanding PostgreSQL's COALESCE FunctionUnderstanding SQL Aggregate FunctionsUnderstanding percentile_cont() and percentile_disc() in PostgreSQLUnderstanding PostgreSQL Conditional FunctionsUnderstanding PostgreSQL Array FunctionsUnderstanding the Postgres extract() FunctionUnderstanding the rank() and dense_rank() Functions in PostgreSQL

Postgres statements

Understanding PostgreSQL SELECTUsing PostgreSQL UPDATE With JOINWhat Characters Are Allowed in PostgreSQL Strings?

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Published at Mar 6, 2024

Understanding PostgreSQL Functions

A purple circle over a black background.

PostgreSQL offers a myriad of functions that are essential for data analysis, manipulation, and processing. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive list of PostgreSQL built-in functions, complete with brief descriptions, code snippets, and Timescale custom SQL queries that will take your data analysis to another level.

  • Aggregate Functions

  • Date and Time Functions

  • String Functions

  • Mathematical Functions

  • Window Functions

More on specific PostgreSQL functions:

  • string_agg

  • extract()

  • percentile_cont() and percentile_disc()

  • rank() and dense_rank()

Use Timescale Functions for Hyper Speed and Ease 

Now that you’ve learned the basics of PostgreSQL functions, it’s time for a better alternative. Hyperfunctions are a series of SQL functions within TimescaleDB that make it easier to manipulate and analyze time-series data in PostgreSQL with fewer lines of code. 

You can use hyperfunctions to calculate percentile approximations of data, compute time-weighted averages, downsample and smooth data, and perform faster COUNT DISTINCT queries using approximations. Moreover, hyperfunctions are simple to use: you call a hyperfunction using the same SQL syntax you know and love. 

Learn more about hyperfunctions on our Docs page.

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