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PostgreSQL Cheatsheet

 


This is a collection of the most common commands I run while administering Postgres databases. The variables shown between the open and closed tags, "<" and ">", should be replaced with a name you choose. Postgres has multiple shortcut functions, starting with a forward slash, "". Any SQL command that is not a shortcut, must end with a semicolon, ";". You can use the keyboard UP and DOWN keys to scroll the history of previous commands you've run.

sudo su - postgres
psql
connect

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/app-psql.html

psql

psql -U <username> -d <database> -h <hostname>

psql --username=<username> --dbname=<database> --host=<hostname>
disconnect
\q
\!
clear the screen
(CTRL + L)
info
\conninfo
configure

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/runtime-config.html

sudo nano $(locate -l 1 main/postgresql.conf)
sudo service postgresql restart
debug logs
# print the last 24 lines of the debug log
sudo tail -24 $(find /var/log/postgresql -name 'postgresql-*-main.log')

 

Recon

show version
SHOW SERVER_VERSION;
show system status
\conninfo
show environmental variables
SHOW ALL;
list users
SELECT rolname FROM pg_roles;
show current user
SELECT current_user;
show current user's permissions
\du
list databases
\l
show current database
SELECT current_database();
show all tables in database
\dt
list functions
\df <schema>

 

Databases

list databasees
\l
connect to database
\c <database_name>
show current database
SELECT current_database();
create database

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-createdatabase.html

CREATE DATABASE <database_name> WITH OWNER <username>;
delete database

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-dropdatabase.html

DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS <database_name>;
rename database

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-alterdatabase.html

ALTER DATABASE <old_name> RENAME TO <new_name>;

 

Users

list roles
SELECT rolname FROM pg_roles;
create user

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-createuser.html

CREATE USER <user_name> WITH PASSWORD '<password>';
drop user

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-dropuser.html

DROP USER IF EXISTS <user_name>;
alter user password

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-alterrole.html

ALTER ROLE <user_name> WITH PASSWORD '<password>';

 

Create Superuser:

CREATE ROLE rolename LOGIN SUPERUSER PASSWORD 'passwordstring';

Permissions

become the postgres user, if you have permission errors
sudo su - postgres
psql
grant all permissions on database

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-grant.html

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE <db_name> TO <user_name>;
grant connection permissions on database
GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE <db_name> TO <user_name>;
grant permissions on schema
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO <user_name>;
grant permissions to functions
GRANT EXECUTE ON ALL FUNCTIONS IN SCHEMA public TO <user_name>;
grant permissions to select, update, insert, delete, on a all tables
GRANT SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO <user_name>;
grant permissions, on a table
GRANT SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT ON <table_name> TO <user_name>;
grant permissions, to select, on a table
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO <user_name>;

 

Schema

list schemas
\dn

SELECT schema_name FROM information_schema.schemata;

SELECT nspname FROM pg_catalog.pg_namespace;
create schema

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-createschema.html

CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS <schema_name>;
drop schema

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-dropschema.html

DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS <schema_name> CASCADE;

 

Tables

list tables, in current db
\dt

SELECT table_schema,table_name FROM information_schema.tables ORDER BY table_schema,table_name;
list tables, globally
\dt *.*.

SELECT * FROM pg_catalog.pg_tables
list table schema
\d <table_name>
\d+ <table_name>

SELECT column_name, data_type, character_maximum_length
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE table_name = '<table_name>';
create table

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-createtable.html

CREATE TABLE <table_name>(
  <column_name> <column_type>,
  <column_name> <column_type>
);
create table, with an auto-incrementing primary key
CREATE TABLE <table_name> (
  <column_name> SERIAL PRIMARY KEY
);
delete table

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-droptable.html

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS <table_name> CASCADE;

 

Columns

add column

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-altertable.html

ALTER TABLE <table_name> IF EXISTS
ADD <column_name> <data_type> [<constraints>];
update column
ALTER TABLE <table_name> IF EXISTS
ALTER <column_name> TYPE <data_type> [<constraints>];
delete column
ALTER TABLE <table_name> IF EXISTS
DROP <column_name>;
update column to be an auto-incrementing primary key
ALTER TABLE <table_name>
ADD COLUMN <column_name> SERIAL PRIMARY KEY;
insert into a table, with an auto-incrementing primary key
INSERT INTO <table_name>
VALUES (DEFAULT, <value1>);


INSERT INTO <table_name> (<column1_name>,<column2_name>)
VALUES ( <value1>,<value2> );

 

Data

read all data

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-select.html

SELECT * FROM <table_name>;
read one row of data
SELECT * FROM <table_name> LIMIT 1;
search for data
SELECT * FROM <table_name> WHERE <column_name> = <value>;
insert data

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-insert.html

INSERT INTO <table_name> VALUES( <value_1>, <value_2> );
edit data

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-update.html

UPDATE <table_name>
SET <column_1> = <value_1>, <column_2> = <value_2>
WHERE <column_1> = <value>;
delete all data

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-delete.html

DELETE FROM <table_name>;
delete specific data
DELETE FROM <table_name>
WHERE <column_name> = <value>;

 

Scripting

run local script, on remote host

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/app-psql.html

psql -U <username> -d <database> -h <host> -f <local_file>

psql --username=<username> --dbname=<database> --host=<host> --file=<local_file>
backup database data, everything

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/app-pgdump.html

pg_dump -U username -W -F t database_name > c:\backup_file.tar

-W:  forces pg_dump to prompt for the password before connecting to the PostgreSQL database server. After you hit enter, pg_dump will prompt for the password of postgres user.

-F : specifies the output file format that can be one of the following:

  • c: custom-format archive file format
  • d: directory-format archive
  • t: tar
  • p: plain-text SQL script file).
pg_dump <database_name>

pg_dump <database_name>
backup database, only data
pg_dump -a <database_name>

pg_dump --data-only <database_name>
backup database, only schema
pg_dump -s <database_name>

pg_dump --schema-only <database_name>
restore database data

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/app-pgrestore.html

pg_restore -d <database_name> -a <file_pathway>

pg_restore --dbname=<database_name> --data-only <file_pathway>
restore database schema
pg_restore -d <database_name> -s <file_pathway>

pg_restore --dbname=<database_name> --schema-only <file_pathway>
export table into CSV file

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-copy.html

\copy <table_name> TO '<file_path>' CSV
export table, only specific columns, to CSV file
\copy <table_name>(<column_1>,<column_1>,<column_1>) TO '<file_path>' CSV
import CSV file into table

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-copy.html

\copy <table_name> FROM '<file_path>' CSV
import CSV file into table, only specific columns
\copy <table_name>(<column_1>,<column_1>,<column_1>) FROM '<file_path>' CSV

 

Debugging

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/using-explain.html

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/runtime-config-logging.html

Advanced Features

http://www.tutorialspoint.com/postgresql/postgresql_constraints.htm

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