Published at Jan 31, 2025

Postgres cheat sheet

Databases

List PostgreSQL databases

\l

// List all databases using \l (or \list) (psql)

\l+

// List all databases using \l+ with more details (including description, tablespace & DB size) (psql)

Help on `CREATE DATABASE` command syntax

\h CREATE DATABASE

// Help on SQL Command Syntax (For e.g. CREATE DATABASE) (psql)

Create database

CREATE DATABASE mytest;

// Creates a new database “mytest” (SQL)

By default, the owner of the database is the current login user.

\c test You are now connected to database "test" as user "postgres".

// Connect to a PostgreSQL database “test” as “postgres” user (psql)

Tables

Show table

\d TABLE_NAME

// Show table definition including indexes, constraints & triggers (psql)

Show details

\d+ TABLE_NAME

// More detailed table definition including description and physical disk size (psql)

List tables from current schema

\dt

// List tables from current schema (psql)

List tables from all schemas

\dt *.*

// List tables from all schemas (psql)

List tables for a schema

\dt <name-of-schema>.*

// List the tables in a specific schema (psql)

Copy table data to CSV file

\copy (SELECT * FROM __table_name__) TO 'file_path_and_name.csv' WITH CSV

// Export a table as CSV (psql)

Check indexes for a table using sql

SELECT * FROM pg_indexes WHERE tablename='__table_name__' AND schemaname='__schema_name__';

// Show table indexes (SQL)

Collects statistics about the contents of tables

ANALYZE [__table__]

// Analyze a table and store the results in the pg_statistic system catalog (SQL)

With no parameter, ANALYZE examines every table in the current database

Adding comment on table/column

Comment on table employee is 'Stores employee records';

// Comment on table (SQL)

Comment on column employee.ssn is 'Employee Social Security Number';

// Comment on column (SQL)

Approximate table row count / table cardinality

SELECT reltuples AS card FROM pg_class WHERE relname = '<table_name>';

// Use this to do fast (but not exact) counts from tables. Helpful if a table has millions/billions of records and you just want estimated rows quickly. (SQL)

Connecting

$ ssh -l postgres 200.34.22.75 postgres@200.34.22.75's password: Linux localhost 4.9.0-9-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.168-1 (2019-04-12) x86_64

// Login as PostgreSQL superuser “postgres” on remote PostgreSQL server using ssh (Linux)

root@localhost:~# su - postgres

// Login as PostgreSQL superuser “postgres” (Linux)

Learn how to test your PostgreSQL connection.

Enter PostgreSQL terminal

postgres@localhost:~$ psql psql (9.6.12)Type "help" for help.postgres=#

// Enter PostgreSQL Command Line via “psql” client (psql)

Connect database

\c test You are now connected to database "test" as user "postgres".

// Connect to a PostgreSQL database “test” as “postgres” user (psql)

Check psql client version

$ psql -V psql (PostgreSQL) 9.6.12

// Check psql client version (psql)

Check Postgres server version

select version(); version ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PostgreSQL 9.6.12 on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by gcc (Debian 6.3.0-18+deb9u1) 6.3.0 20170516, 64-bit (1 row)

// Check Postgres server version (SQL)

Queries

Create a new table

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS employee ( emp_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, -- AUTO_INCREMENT integer, as primary key emp_name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL, emp_salary NUMERIC(9,2) NOT NULL );// Creates a new table (SQL)

Display table

\d employee Table "public.employee" Column | Type | Modifiers ------------+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------- emp_id | integer | not null default nextval('employee_emp_id_seq'::regclass) emp_name | character varying(50) | not null emp_salar | numeric(9,2) | not null Indexes: "employee_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree (emp_id)// Display table (psql)

Insert query

INSERT INTO employee (emp_name, emp_salary) VALUES ('John', 5000), ('Jack', 4568.0), ('Robert',7500.50);

// Insert records into table (SQL)

Conditional select query

Conditional update query (Safe Update);

BEGIN; update employee set emp_salary = 6000 where emp_name = 'John'; COMMIT;

// Update record based on a condition (e.g. Update emp_salary for employee ‘John’) (SQL)

Records are not committed inside database unless you issue a commit. Updates can be undone as well if you issue ROLLBACK command instead of COMMIT.

Functions

Create a new function

$$ CREATE FUNCTION add(integer, integer) RETURNS integer AS 'select $1 + $2;' LANGUAGE SQL IMMUTABLE RETURNS NULL ON NULL INPUT; $$

// Create a function to add 2 integers (SQL)

This function takes two integers as parameters IMMUTABLE means that the function cannot modify the database and always returns the same result when given the same argument values.

Calling function

select add(5,9); add ----- 14 (1 row)

// Function call (SQL)

List functions

// Display all Functions (psql)

\df+

// Display all functions and additional information, including owner, source code, and description, etc. (psql)

Edit function

\ef myfunction

// Edit a function in default editor (psql)

Views

Listing PostgreSQL views helps in comprehending the database structure, optimizing queries, analyzing dependencies, documentation, and maintaining security and access control.

List views

\dv

// List views from current schema (psql)

\dv *.*

// List views from all schemas (psql)

Users

Set/reset Postgres user password

\password username

// To set/reset a password for PostgreSQL database user (psql)

For example: Change password for current user “postgres”:

\password postgres Enter new password: xxxx Enter it again: xxxx

Show all users

select * from pg_user;// Display PostgreSQL database users (SQL)

\du List of roles Role name | Attributes | Member of -----------+------------------------------------------------------------+----------- testrole | | {} postgres | Superuser, Create role, Create DB, Replication, Bypass RLS | {}

// Display PostgreSQL database roles (psql)

$ psql -U testuser mytest Password for user testuser: ...... psql (9.6.12) Type "help" for help.

// Login to PostgreSQL: psql -U user database (psql)

Indexes

create index idx_employee_emp_name on employee using btree (emp_name asc);

// Create a new index on the emp_name column of the employee table (SQL)

This index specifies “btree” as the index method and uses “asc” to store the index key column data in ascending order.

\d employee postgres=# \d employee; Table "public.employee" Column | Type | Modifiers ------------+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------- emp_id | integer | not null default nextval('employee_emp_id_seq'::regclass) emp_name | character varying(50) | not null emp_salary | numeric(9,2) | not null Indexes: "employee_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree (emp_id) "idx_employee_emp_name" btree (emp_name)

// List indexes of a table along with table definition (psql)

// List all indexes from all tables (psql)

Database indexes in Timescale work the same as in regular PostgreSQL. When working with Timescale’s hypertables (which abstract partitioning, taking care of it automatically), Timescale will also create the indexes automatically. Try Timescale for free today.

drop index idx_employee_emp_name;

// Drop an existing index from a table (SQL)

Constraints

Postgres constraints are rules enforced on data columns within a table to maintain data integrity and prevent the insertion of invalid data.

$$ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS employee ( emp_id SERIAL `PRIMARY` KEY, emp_name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL, emp_ssn VARCHAR (30) NOT NULL `UNIQUE`, emp_salary NUMERIC(9,2) NOT NULL ); $$

// Creates a new table with primary & unique key constraints (SQL)

Primary Key Constraint: Enforces the uniqueness of a column or a set of columns, ensuring that each row in a table is uniquely identified.

Unique Constraint: Ensures that all values in a column or a set of columns are distinct, except for null values.

INSERT INTO employee (emp_name, emp_ssn, emp_salary) values ('Rohit', '1234', 5000.0); INSERT 0 1 INSERT INTO employee (emp_name, emp_ssn, emp_salary) values (Mason, '1234', 7500.0); ERROR: duplicate key value violates unique constraint "employee_emp_ssn_key" DETAIL: Key (emp_ssn)=(1234) already exists.

// Insert records in a table with unique key constraints specified (SQL)

This table uses emp_id as primary key column (Keyword “primary”) and a unique constraint (Keyword “unique”) is specified on employee social security number (emp_ssn) to avoid duplicate ssn being entered.

$$ CREATE TABLE orders( ord_no integer, ord_date date, ord_qty numeric, ord_amount numeric `CHECK (ord_amount>0)` ); $$

// Creates a new table with check constraint specified (SQL)

insert into orders(ord_no, ord_date, ord_qty, ord_amount) values (1, '2019-08-29', 1, 10); INSERT 0 1 insert into orders(ord_no, ord_date, ord_qty, ord_amount) values (2, '2019-08-29', 1, 0); ERROR: new row for relation "orders" violates check constraint "orders_ord_amount_check" DETAIL: Failing row contains (2, 2019-08-29, 1, 0).

// Insert records in table with check constraints specified (SQL)

Check constraint (Keyword “check”) is specified on order amount (ord_amount > 0) on table so any records with ord_amount <=0 will fail to insert.

Check Constraint: Verifies that all values in a column or a set of columns satisfy a specified condition or expression.

$$ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS department ( dept_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, dept_name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL ); $$ CREATE TABLE $$ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS employee ( emp_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, emp_name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL, emp_ssn VARCHAR (30) NOT NULL UNIQUE, emp_salary NUMERIC(9,2) NOT NULL, emp_dept_id INTEGER `REFERENCES` department (dept_id) -- Foreign Key ); $$ CREATE TABLE

// Creates table department & employee and defines a relation of an employee to department using foreign key (“REFERENCES”) (SQL)

Foreign Key Constraint: Establishes a link between data in two tables, enforcing referential integrity by preserving the relationships between the linked tables.

\d employee; Table "public.employee" Column | Type | Modifiers -------------+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------- emp_id | integer | not null default nextval('employee_emp_id_seq'::regclass) . . . Indexes: "employee_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree (emp_id) "employee_emp_ssn_key" UNIQUE CONSTRAINT, btree (emp_ssn) Foreign-key constraints: "employee_emp_dept_id_fkey" FOREIGN KEY (emp_dept_id) REFERENCES department(dept_id)

// Display constraints on a table (using \d option) (psql)

Identifiers

select 'Gordon' || ' ' || 'Moore' As fullName; fullname -------------- Gordon Moore (1 row)

// Concatenates two or more strings using “||”. (SQL)

This operator can be applied on table columns as well. e.g. “select first_name || ‘ ‘ || last_name As fullName from person”.

select |/25 As sqrt; sqrt ------ 5 (1 row)

// Square root operator. (SQL)

select ||/125 As cubert; cubert ------ 5 (1 row)

// Cube root operator. (SQL)

select 5! As factorial; factorial ----------- 120 (1 row)

// Factorial operator. (SQL)

select ~60 As compl; compl ---------- -61 (1 row)

// Binary 2’s complement. This operator has a flipping effect on bits. (SQL)

Assume if A = 60, now in binary format they will be as follows − A = 0011 1100 ~A = 1100 0011 (flipping bits. change 0 to 1 & 1 to 0).

select lower('Rohit Kumawat') As lowerCase, upper('Rohit Kumawat') As upperCase; lowercase | uppercase ---------------+--------------- rohit kumawat | ROHIT KUMAWAT (1 row)

// Postgres lower & upper function (SQL)

select char_length('Arizona') as num_chars; num_chars ----------- 7 (1 row)

// Number of characters in string (SQL)

select position('pan' in 'japan') As pos; pos ----- 3 (1 row)

// Location of specified substring (SQL)

select substring('postgres' from 3 for 3) As sub_string; sub_string ------------ stg (1 row)

// Extract substring ‘postgres’ starting from third character up to three characters length (SQL)

postgres=# select 'line 1'||E'\n'||'line 2' As newline; newline --------- line 1 + line 2 (1 row)

// Insert new line using E’\n’ (SQL)

Another option is to use the chr() function. (E is used for the Escape String constant). Here’s a few other escape sequences: \b backspace \f form feed \n newline \r carriage return \t tab.

Update "my table" set "a&b" = 0;

// Using double quotes as delimited identifier

This allows constructing table or column names that would otherwise not be possible, such as ones containing spaces or ampersands. Also double quotes are used for escaping reserved keywords in PostgreSQL.

select $$Maria’s dogs$$ As col; col -------------------- Maria’s dogs (1 row)

// Use dollar quotes string constant instead of double quotes for strings (SQL)

If a string contains many single quotes or backslashes then PostgreSQL has an alternative called “dollar quoting.”

Maintenance

VACUUM [__Table__] vacuum(verbose, analyze) employee; INFO: vacuuming "public.employee" INFO: scanned index "employee_pkey" to remove 1 row versions . . . sample, 1 estimated total rows VACUUM

// Use the vacuum command to reclaim storage from deleted rows in the employee table (SQL)

1. Table rows that are deleted or obsoleted by an update are not physically removed from their table; they remain present until a VACUUM command is executed. Therefore it’s necessary to do VACUUM periodically, especially on frequently-updated tables. 2. Verbose Prints a detailed vacuum activity report for each table. 3. Analyze update statistics for table.

ANALYZE [__table__] analyze verbose employee; INFO: analyzing "public.employee" INFO: "employee": scanned 1 of 1 pages, containing 1 live rows and 0 dead rows; 1 rows in sample, 1 estimated total rows ANALYZE

// Analyzes a table and stores the results in the pg_statistic system catalog (SQL)

1. ANALYZE gathers statistics for the query planner to create the most efficient query execution plans. Accurate statistics assist planner to choose the most appropriate query plan, and thereby improve the speed of query processing.

2. Verbose prints a detailed analyze activity report for each table.

3. With no table name specified, ANALYZE examines every table in the current database.

Monitoring

SELECT pid ,datname ,usename ,application_name ,client_hostname ,state ,client_port ,backend_start ,query_start ,query FROM pg_stat_activity// Monitors Postgres sessions (SQL)

Few important parameters to know

Pid - Backend process ID

Datname - Database name

Username - User running the query

Application_name - Client application name

State - State of Session (e.g., active, waiting, idle ..)

Query - Query executed

Cancel running query

SELECT pg_cancel_backend(pid);// To cancel a running query with pid provided. This is useful in case of killing long-running queries (SQL)

Biggest PostgreSQL table/indexes by their sizes

SELECT nspname || '.' || relname AS "Object Name", relkind As "Object Type", pg_size_pretty(pg_relation_size(C.oid)) AS "size" FROM pg_class C LEFT JOIN pg_namespace N ON (N.oid = C.relnamespace) WHERE nspname NOT IN ('pg_catalog', 'information_schema') ORDER BY pg_relation_size(C.oid) DESC LIMIT 20;

// Top 20 big tables/indexes (excluding catalog tables) (SQL)

Backup

Database backup (with default options)

$ pg_dump mydb > mydb.bak.sql

// Create a backup for a database “mydb” in plain-text SQL Script file (mydb.bak.sql) (pg_dump)

Backups in Timescale are fully automated. Learn how Timescale handles database backups and disaster recovery.

Database backup (with customized options)

$ pg_dump -c -C -F p -f mydb.bak.sql mydb

// Creates a backup for a database “mydb” in plain text format with drop & create database commands included in output file mydb.bak.sql (pg_dump)

Backup options:

– -c: Output commands to clean(drop) database objects prior to writing commands to create them

– -C: Begin output with “CREATE DATABASE” command itself and reconnect to created database

– -F: Format of the output (value p means plain SQL output and value c means custom archive format suitable for pg_restore)

– -f: Backup output file name

Remote backup

$ pg_dump -h <remote_host> -p <port> -U <user> -f mydb.bak mydb

// Running pg_dump on the client computer to back up data on a remote Postgres server (pg_dump)

Use the -h flag to specify the IP address of your remote Host and -p to identify the port on which PostgreSQL is listening:

All databases backup

$ pg_dumpall > alldb.bak.sql

// Backup of all databases along with database roles and cluster-wide information. (pg_dumpall)

Restore

Restore from backup file (.sql)

$ psql -U username -f filename.sql

// Restore database plain-text backup(.sql) generated by pg_dump or pg_dumpall with psql utility (psql)

Restore from custom archive backup file (.bak)

$ pg_restore -d db_name /path/to/your/file/db_name.bak -c -U db_user

// Restore database custom archive backup(.bak) using pg_restore utility (pg_restore)

Want to learn more about restoring your PostgreSQL database? We put together a guide to help you.

Configuration

Stop / start PostgreSQL service

service postgresql stop

// Stops PostgreSQL service through root user (Linux)

service postgresql start

// Starts PostgreSQL service through root user (Linux)

service postgresql restart

// Restarts PostgreSQL service through root user (Linux)

If running from non root user you must prefix your command with “sudo” and non-root user should already be there in sudoer’s list. Also be careful with running these commands because some distributors don’t provide them these days.

Display configuration parameters

show all

// List all current runtime configuration parameters (psql)

Display configuration parameters using sql

select * from pg_settings;

// List all current runtime configuration parameters using SQL with additional details, including description (SQL)

Show current setting from “max_connections”

SELECT current_setting('max_connections'); current_setting ----------------- 100 (1 row)

// Display current value set for “max_connections” parameter (SQL)

Show PostgreSQL config file location

show config_file; config_file ------------------------------------------ /etc/postgresql/9.6/main/postgresql.conf (1 row)// Show PostgreSQL configuration file location (psql)

The PostgreSQL configuration files are stored in directory from above command output. The main configuration file is called “postgresql.conf." Want an easier way to find it?

Display contents of Postgres config file location

postgres@localhost:~$ less /etc/postgresql/9.6/main/postgresql.conf . . . . data_directory = '/var/lib/postgresql/9.6/main' # use data in another directory # (change requires restart) hba_file = '/etc/postgresql/9.6/main/pg_hba.conf' # host-based authentication file # (change requires restart) ident_file = '/etc/postgresql/9.6/main/pg_ident.conf' # ident configuration file # (change requires restart) listen_addresses = '*' # what IP address(es) to listen on; # comma-separated list of addresses; # defaults to 'localhost'; use '*' for all # (change requires restart) port = 5432 # (change requires restart) . . . .(Linux)

– data_directory directive tells where the database files are stored.

– hba_file directive tells the host based authentication file.

– port directive tells the TCP port number. The default is 5432.

//End