[Gnumed-announce] heads up regarding required database version

[Karsten Hilbert]

This is a pre-announcement for those using GNUmed in
production so that proper planning can be started:

Starting with version 1.4 (NOT the to-be-released-after-
we-find-a-suitable-solution-for-failing-lists version
1.3) GNUmed will require PostgreSQL version >= 9.0.

One of the benefits will be that starting with 9.0
PostgreSQL supports payloads on database notifications which
allows us to listen to changes in the EMR in a much more
robust and more appropriately grained way.

A few facts:

1) GNUmed already runs on 9.0 (and up) even today

2) transition can be as easy as (an appropriate incantation of):

        pg_dump > gnumed_v19.sql
        psql < gnumed_v19.sql

3) transition can also happen by any number of other means:

        - pg_upgrade
        - slony
        - ...

Further guidance will be provided as 1.4 approaches.

There's a slew of other useful things:

        - WHEN triggers
        - column triggers
        - sort in aggregates
        - named parameters in stored procedures
        - exclusion constraints
        - deferrable unique constraints
        - hot_standby and streaming replication

Karsten
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