Question 1

How to install libpqxx on Windows with Visual Studio?

Accepted Answer

Use the Easy-PQXX Build project linked in the README or build from source with CMake, but be cautious of mixing Release and Debug artefacts to avoid link errors. Ensure PostgreSQL client libraries are installed separately.

Question 2

libpqxx vs raw libpq: which is better for performance?

Accepted Answer

libpqxx adds a thin C++ abstraction layer on top of libpq, so performance overhead is minimal. It simplifies code with type safety and exceptions, but for ultra-low-level control, raw libpq might be slightly faster at the cost of more verbose error handling.

Question 3

How to handle connection pooling in libpqxx?

Accepted Answer

libpqxx does not include built-in connection pooling; you must manage connections manually or use external libraries. The pqxx::connection class supports multiple simultaneous connections, but pooling implementations are left to the developer.

Question 4

Can I use libpqxx with async or non-blocking queries?

Accepted Answer

No, libpqxx is primarily synchronous and blocking, relying on libpq's underlying synchronous API. For asynchronous operations, you would need to wrap it in threads or use alternative PostgreSQL C++ libraries designed for async.

Question 5

How to prevent SQL injection in libpqxx?

Accepted Answer

Use parameterized queries with functions like exec_params(), which safely bind values to placeholders, avoiding string concatenation. The library encourages this through its API design, as seen in the documentation examples.

Question 6

What's the difference between query() and stream() in libpqxx?

Accepted Answer

query() returns a full result set stored in memory, suitable for small datasets, while stream() iterates rows on-the-fly with lower memory overhead for large results, but it has limitations like not working with all query types and temporary string_view usage.

libpqxx

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