If you need to speed up text searches, and you’re willing to make database schema changes and query changes, then Alex Klibisz explains how to use trigrams.
If you’re considering migrating from MSSQL to Postgres, and you’re wondering what version to use, a good place to start is Hubert Lubaczewski’s blogs about what’s coming in Postgres 18 (around September 2025). If your app uses computed columns or LIKE searches on case insensitive columns, you’ll want to use an early build of Postgres 18 for your migration. If you’re using indexed computed columns, you’re in a little more trouble – those won’t ship in 18.
If you’re a query tuner, you’ll also like reading through that blog category for interesting upcoming updates to query plans. For example, there’s an interesting bug in the way Postgres reports the number of actual rows returned on operators that execute multiple times. (And that’ll be fixed in 18.)
And if you use those resources, you owe it to yourself to learn a little more about the man behind the depesz name, Hubert Lubeczewski.
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FYI, the newsletter came to my inbox stripped of links (e.g. “Alex Klibisz explains how to use trigrams” is just plain text), except for the links for “Read the comments…”, “Unsubscribe”, and “Update preferences”. Additionally, the section dividers and paragraph spacing was omitted, collapsing everything into 1 paragraph.
I suppose it could be my corporation’s Exchange rules, but this would be the first time the Smart Postgres newsletter had that happen.
Oh no, sorry to hear that!
I take it that means there’s not a general problem here?
Correct, it doesn’t appear to be.