pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver
pgxpool, Copy protocol, and batch queries
pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver is a free Go Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 4. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Go Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Go Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.
What is pgx?
github.com/jackc/pgx/v5 is a PostgreSQL-specific Go driver with a native API that supports advanced PostgreSQL features unavailable in database/sql: COPY protocol, notifications, prepared statement caching, and more.
Connecting with pgx
Use pgx's native pool or database/sql compatibility layer:
// Native pgx pool
pool, err := pgxpool.New(ctx, "postgres://user:pass@localhost/mydb")
if err != nil { log.Fatal(err) }
defer pool.Close()pgxpool
pgxpool.New creates a managed connection pool. Configure it with a parse config:
config, _ := pgxpool.ParseConfig("postgres://...")
config.MaxConns = 10
pool, _ := pgxpool.NewWithConfig(ctx, config)Querying with pgx
pgx uses pool.Query and pgx.CollectRows helper functions:
rows, _ := pool.Query(ctx, "SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE active=$1", true)
users, err := pgx.CollectRows(rows, pgx.RowToStructByName[User])RowToStructByName
pgx.RowToStructByName maps column names to struct fields using lowercase field names or db tags, similar to sqlx Select.
Scanning a single row
Use pool.QueryRow for single-row queries:
var name string
err := pool.QueryRow(ctx, "SELECT name FROM users WHERE id=$1", id).Scan(&name)Batch queries
pgx supports sending multiple queries in a single network round trip using pool.SendBatch:
batch := &pgx.Batch{}
batch.Queue("SELECT name FROM users WHERE id=$1", 1)
batch.Queue("SELECT name FROM users WHERE id=$1", 2)
results := pool.SendBatch(ctx, batch)
defer results.Close()COPY protocol
For bulk inserts, pgx supports PostgreSQL's binary COPY protocol, which is much faster than individual INSERT statements:
conn, _ := pool.Acquire(ctx)
defer conn.Release()
conn.Conn().CopyFrom(ctx, pgx.Identifier{"users"}, []string{"name","email"}, pgx.CopyFromRows(rows))Listen/Notify
pgx supports PostgreSQL's LISTEN/NOTIFY for real-time pub/sub within the DB:
conn, _ := pool.Acquire(ctx)
conn.Exec(ctx, "LISTEN events")
notification, _ := conn.Conn().WaitForNotification(ctx)
fmt.Println(notification.Payload)pgx with database/sql
Use pgx as a database/sql driver for compatibility with existing sql-based code:
import pgxstdlib "github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/stdlib"
db := sql.OpenDB(pgxstdlib.OpenDBFromPool(pool))pgconn for low-level
pgconn is pgx's low-level connection library exposing the raw PostgreSQL wire protocol. Use it for custom protocol work or admin tools.
Quick Check
Why is pgx's COPY protocol faster than multiple INSERT statements?
Recap: pgx
Key points:
- pgxpool for managed connection pool; configure with MaxConns
- CollectRows + RowToStructByName for ergonomic scanning
- SendBatch for multiple queries in one round trip
- CopyFrom for high-throughput bulk inserts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the “pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver” lesson free?
Yes — any 3 lessons of the Go Academy learning path, including “pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The Go Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.
What will I learn in “pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver”?
pgxpool, Copy protocol, and batch queries You practise Go Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Go Academy?
No prior experience is required. Go Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 3 of 4.
How long does the “pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Go Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Go Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- database/sql and Drivers
- sqlx: Struct Scanning and Named Queries
- pgx: High-Performance PostgreSQL Driver
- Transactions and Migrations