Does Postgres Use B Tree Indexes?

Does Postgres use B Tree indexes? If yes, how to use them to best reach your goals? Learn here.

Does Postgres use B tree indexes as its primary type of index is a question of interest to many developers and database administrators.

Indeed, Postgres has many types of indexes that could be of interest to anyone working with the DBMS: but are B-Tree indexes included in that list? Let’s take a look.

Indexes in PostgreSQL

The primary type of index in PostgreSQL is a B-Tree index, so that’s your answer to the question does Postgres use B tree indexes. B-Tree indexes in PostgreSQL:

• Are the default and the most common index type in PostgreSQL
• Are suitable for equality, range, and prefix matching
• Support multiple data types including numbers, text, dates, and others.

To add does Postgres use B tree indexes into PostgreSQL, use a vanilla CREATE INDEX SQL query like so:

CREATE INDEX `idx_name` ON `table_name`(`column_name`);

This query will create a B-Tree index inside of PostgreSQL infrastructure. Besides B-Tree indexes, though, PostgreSQL has many other types of indexes including hash indexes, GIN (Generalized Inverted Indexes) indexes, GiST (Generalized Inverted Search Tree) indexes, BRIN (Block Range INdexes), and indexes facilitating full-text search within PostgreSQL. A table depicting possible indexes within PostgreSQL would look like so:

Index Type	Explanation
B-Tree	General purpose index in PostgreSQL. Can assist with operations involving strings, numbers, and dates, as well as with equality, range, or prefix search operations.
Hash	Used for equality comparisons within data sets. Can assist with operations involving string and numeric data types, but only with exact matching.
GIN	Used for full-text, JSONB, or array searches. Typically used with the Contains function or together with the full-text search.
GiST	Used to assist with searches through spatial data types.
BRIN	Used to assist searches through large quantities of ordered data on sequential data types.

Does Postgres Use B Tree Indexes?

As you could’ve already seen from the table above, the answer to the question does Postgres use B Tree indexes is an unanimous yes, because B-Tree indexes are the primary types of indexes in PostgreSQL.

PostgreSQL is also famous for its extensive data type support, and with data types spanning numeric, character, binary, date/time, boolean, enumerated, geometric, network address, XML, UUID, and even monetary data types, you’re sure to find a Postgres data type suitable for your needs.

Neither data types neither indexes are the end of your journey though: to keep your applications and database secure, ensure that you store only the necessary data, if you’re storing passwords, hash them with a secure password hashing algorithm like Blowfish or BCrypt, and consider using a firewall to protect your applications.

Besides firewalls, data breach search engines like BreachDirectory.com will help you see if your data has been stolen in any data breach and also help you perform a wide variety of investigative activities on email addresses, usernames, Blockchain or IP addresses, or other data:

The BreachDirectory API will let you in on the stolen data in the data breach search engine through a JSON form, too: give BreachDirectory.com a whirl today, read blogs and books to stay updated on data breach trends, and see you next time!

Does Postgres Use B Tree Indexes? Summary

The answer to the question does Postgres use B Tree indexes is yes because B-Tree indexes are one of the primary types of indexes used by PostgreSQL. Besides B-Tree indexes, PostgreSQL has many other types of indexes including hash indexes, GIN (Generalized Inverted Indexes) indexes, GiST (Generalized Inverted Search Tree) indexes, BRIN (Block Range INdexes), and indexes facilitating full-text search within PostgreSQL.

Besides indexes, make sure to keep the data inside your applications safe by using web application firewalls and secure coding practices. And if you do get breaches, data breach search engines like BreachDirectory and the BreachDirectory API will help you find out what happened and when.

FAQ

Does Postgres Use B Tree Indexes?

Yes, PostgreSQL uses B-Tree indexes as the primary type of indexes in PostgreSQL.

What Kind of Indexes Are Available in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL has many types of indexes including B-Tree indexes, hash indexes, GIN (Generalized Inverted Indexes) indexes, GiST (Generalized Inverted Search Tree) indexes, BRIN (Block Range INdexes), and indexes facilitating full-text search within PostgreSQL.

Why Should I Use Data Breach Search Engines?

Consider using data breach search engines like BreachDirectory.com to see if your data has been stolen in any data breach and also help you perform a wide variety of investigative activities on email addresses, usernames, Blockchain or IP addresses, or other data.