SQL/JSON patches committed to PostgreSQL 15!

PostgreSQL SQL/JSON:

PostgreSQL continues evolving its support for modern data formats with each release. Notably, PostgreSQL 15 introduces significant improvements to handle JSON data more efficiently. These updates bring greater flexibility, performance, and ease of use to developers working with semi-structured data. Below are the key SQL/JSON enhancements included in this release:

  1. JSON Table Functions: Query JSON data as if it were a table, simplifying extraction and manipulation within SQL queries.
  2. JSON Path Expressions: Navigate and filter JSON data using XPath-like syntax for more advanced querying capabilities.
  3. JSON Schema Validation: Enforce data integrity and validation rules on JSON data stored in the database.
  4. JSON Indexing Improvements: Enhanced efficiency when querying and retrieving data from JSON columns.
  5. JSONB Path Expressions: Navigate and query JSONB data with flexible path expression syntax.
  6. JSON Table Creation: Create tables directly from JSON data using the new JSON_TABLE function.
  7. JSON Schema Support: Additional validation functions and operators like json_validate and jsonb_validate.
  8. JSONB Scalar Functions: New functions including jsonb_set, jsonb_insert, and jsonb_delete for modifying JSONB data.
  9. JSON Indexing for Path Expressions: Create indexes on JSON path expressions for faster lookups.
  10. JSON Table Joins: Join multiple JSON tables using common keys or attributes.
  11. JSON Table Updates: Modify JSON data directly using the JSON_TABLE_UPDATE function.
  12. JSON Path Functions: New functions like json_path_exists, json_path_value, and json_path_query.
  13. JSONB Comparison Operators: Compare JSONB values using operators like <, >, <=, and >=.
  14. JSONB Iteration Functions: Iterate through JSONB arrays and objects with jsonb_array_elements and jsonb_each.
  15. JSONB Binary Format Improvements: Optimized binary representation for reduced storage space and improved performance.

Conclusion:

Altogether, these enhancements significantly extend PostgreSQL’s capabilities for working with JSON data. As a result, developers now have a more robust set of tools for handling, querying, and manipulating JSON efficiently. With PostgreSQL 15, handling semi-structured data becomes more intuitive and performance-driven than ever before.

About Shiv Iyer 500 Articles
Open Source Database Systems Engineer with a deep understanding of Optimizer Internals, Performance Engineering, Scalability and Data SRE. Shiv currently is the Founder, Investor, Board Member and CEO of multiple Database Systems Infrastructure Operations companies in the Transaction Processing Computing and ColumnStores ecosystem. He is also a frequent speaker in open source software conferences globally.