Getting started with PostgreSQL

Official PostgreSQL docs

PostgreSQL is an open-source database system which you will be using as the backend of your project.  The server is the postmaster process running on cubist.  Your system will post queries and updates to PostgreSQL through perl, php, c/c++ programs.  But it will be convenient for you to manage your database directly.  Also, any interface from another programming language simply submits SQL strings to the PostgreSQL server, so you may want to debug your SQL separately.  For these purposes we use a command-line client called psql, which will allow you to run queries, create tables, change permissions, and so forth.  

1. The command line client insists that you choose a database.  The first time you run psql, you will use a default database.  After logging into cubist, and setting your path, run: psql [database name], which is the same as your CSE email name.  Then You will be prompted for a password which you should have received.  Your username for PostgreSQL is inherited from your unix login, by default.  (Your actual PostgreSQL account uses you CSE email name as a login name.  Use psql -U [username] [database name] if you want to logon to your members' database.) Then you should see a prompt that looks like: [database name]->
2. From this prompt you can issue a range of commands preceeded by \.  To get a list of commands, type \? and return. In addition, from this prompt you can input raw SQL and execute it. 
3. After you login to your database, you can create more databases if you want; however, this is just for your own excitment.  Note: you don't need to create new database in order to work on your project.  Use: CREATE DATABASE [new_database_name];  at the prompt, and hit return.  We all share the same namespace for databases, so think of an original name.  Don't forget the semicolon! All text you enter at the prompt is buffered until a semi-colon is seen.  Use \p to see the current buffer.
4. Next we will execute a set of SQL commands contained in this file, please copy this into your cubist directory where you logon to postgreSQL .  After glancing at it, you should be able to execute it by using at the prompt: \i beersbarsdrinkers.sql and hit return.  You can use \i to execute any file which contains SQL.  Please make sure you are in your own database before running this.
5. To get some sense of the tables you have created type \d.  This provides a summary of the tables in the current database.  You should see this, with you as owner of each table.

List of relations
Name | Type | Owner
-------------+----------+--------
bars | table | manchun
beers | table | manchun
drinkers | table | manchun
frequents | table | manchun
likes | table | manchun
sells | table | manchun
(6 rows)

6. To take a closer look at the data, try executing the following at the command line: SELECT * FROM Beers ORDER BY price; Again, don't forget the semicolon!
7. PostgreSQL uses permissions to control access.  To see a summary of permissions for the current database, use \z.  Like most other things permissions are modified through SQL commands.   See this page for a clear explanation.  When you create your calendar database, you will likely need to allow your group members read and write access.
8. To quit the psql client use \q.
9. You can now follow a similar routine to create the calendar database and add sample data.  When creating a database it is a good idea to structure an SQL source file and execute it, rather than entering random lines of SQL into the psql client, because you will be able to recover and modify them that way.  The the SQL reference for help defining the tables of your new database.  You can also start running the sample code that accesses the testdb you have just created.