PSQL
Magic words:
psql -U postgres
Some interesting flags (to see all, use -h or --help depending on your psql version):
-E: will describe the underlaying queries of the\commands (cool for learning!)-l: psql will list all databases and then exit (useful if the user you connect with doesn’t has a default database, like at AWS RDS)
Most \d commands support additional param of __schema__.name__ and accept wildcards like *.*
\?: Show help (list of available commands with an explanation)\q: Quit/Exit\c __database__: Connect to a database\d __table__: Show table definition (columns, etc.) including triggers\d+ __table__: More detailed table definition including description and physical disk size\l: List databases\dy: List events\df: List functions\di: List indexes\dn: List schemas\dt *.*: List tables from all schemas (if*.*is omitted will only show SEARCH_PATH ones)\dT+: List all data types\dv: List views\dx: List all extensions installed\df+ __function__: Show function SQL code.\x: Pretty-format query results instead of the not-so-useful ASCII tables\copy (SELECT * FROM __table_name__) TO 'file_path_and_name.csv' WITH CSV: Export a table as CSV\des+: List all foreign servers\dE[S+]: List all foreign tables\! __bash_command__: execute__bash_command__(e.g.\! ls)
User Related:
\du: List users\du __username__: List a username if present.create role __test1__: Create a role with an existing username.create role __test2__ noinherit login password __passsword__;: Create a role with username and password.set role __test__;: Change role for current session to__test__.grant __test2__ to __test1__;: Allow__test1__to set its role as__test2__.\deu+: List all user mapping on server
Configuration
- Service management commands:
sudo service postgresql stop sudo service postgresql start sudo service postgresql restart - Changing verbosity & querying Postgres log:
1) First edit the config file, set a decent verbosity, save and restart postgres: ``` sudo vim /etc/postgresql/9.3/main/postgresql.conf
Uncomment/Change inside:
log_min_messages = debug5 log_min_error_statement = debug5 log_min_duration_statement = -1
sudo service postgresql restart
2) Now you will get tons of details of every statement, error, and even background tasks like VACUUMs
tail -f /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-9.3-main.log
3) How to add user who executed a PG statement to log (editing `postgresql.conf`):
log_line_prefix = ‘%t %u %d %a ‘
- Check Extensions enabled in postgres: `SELECT * FROM pg_extension;`
- Show available extensions: `SELECT * FROM pg_available_extension_versions;`
## Create command
There are many `CREATE` choices, like `CREATE DATABASE __database_name__`, `CREATE TABLE __table_name__` ... Parameters differ but can be checked [at the official documentation](https://www.postgresql.org/search/?u=%2Fdocs%2F9.1%2F&q=CREATE).
## Handy queries
- `SELECT * FROM pg_proc WHERE proname='__procedurename__'`: List procedure/function
- `SELECT * FROM pg_views WHERE viewname='__viewname__';`: List view (including the definition)
- `SELECT pg_size_pretty(pg_total_relation_size('__table_name__'));`: Show DB table space in use
- `SELECT pg_size_pretty(pg_database_size('__database_name__'));`: Show DB space in use
- `show statement_timeout;`: Show current user's statement timeout
- `SELECT * FROM pg_indexes WHERE tablename='__table_name__' AND schemaname='__schema_name__';`: Show table indexes
- Get all indexes from all tables of a schema:
```sql
SELECT
t.relname AS table_name,
i.relname AS index_name,
a.attname AS column_name
FROM
pg_class t,
pg_class i,
pg_index ix,
pg_attribute a,
pg_namespace n
WHERE
t.oid = ix.indrelid
AND i.oid = ix.indexrelid
AND a.attrelid = t.oid
AND a.attnum = ANY(ix.indkey)
AND t.relnamespace = n.oid
AND n.nspname = 'kartones'
ORDER BY
t.relname,
i.relname
- Execution data:
- Queries being executed at a certain DB:
SELECT datname, application_name, pid, backend_start, query_start, state_change, state, query FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE datname='__database_name__'; - Get all queries from all dbs waiting for data (might be hung):
SELECT * FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE waiting='t' - Currently running queries with process pid:
SELECT pg_stat_get_backend_pid(s.backendid) AS procpid, pg_stat_get_backend_activity(s.backendid) AS current_query FROM (SELECT pg_stat_get_backend_idset() AS backendid) AS s; - Get Connections by Database:
SELECT datname, numbackends FROM pg_stat_database;
- Queries being executed at a certain DB:
Casting:
CAST (column AS type)orcolumn::type'__table_name__'::regclass::oid: Get oid having a table name
Query analysis:
EXPLAIN __query__: see the query plan for the given queryEXPLAIN ANALYZE __query__: see and execute the query plan for the given queryANALYZE [__table__]: collect statistics
Generating random data (source):
INSERT INTO some_table (a_float_value) SELECT random() * 100000 FROM generate_series(1, 1000000) i;
Get sizes of tables, indexes and full DBs:
select current_database() as database,
pg_size_pretty(total_database_size) as total_database_size,
schema_name,
table_name,
pg_size_pretty(total_table_size) as total_table_size,
pg_size_pretty(table_size) as table_size,
pg_size_pretty(index_size) as index_size
from ( select table_name,
table_schema as schema_name,
pg_database_size(current_database()) as total_database_size,
pg_total_relation_size(table_name) as total_table_size,
pg_relation_size(table_name) as table_size,
pg_indexes_size(table_name) as index_size
from information_schema.tables
where table_schema=current_schema() and table_name like 'table_%'
order by total_table_size
) as sizes;
- COPY command: Import/export from CSV to tables: ```sql COPY table_name [ ( column_name [, …] ) ] FROM { ‘filename’ | STDIN } [ [ WITH ] ( option [, …] ) ]
COPY { table_name [ ( column_name [, …] ) ] | ( query ) } TO { ‘filename’ | STDOUT } [ [ WITH ] ( option [, …] ) ]
- List all grants for a specific user
```sql
SELECT table_catalog, table_schema, table_name, privilege_type
FROM information_schema.table_privileges
WHERE grantee = 'user_to_check' ORDER BY table_name;
- List all assigned user roles
SELECT r.rolname, r.rolsuper, r.rolinherit, r.rolcreaterole, r.rolcreatedb, r.rolcanlogin, r.rolconnlimit, r.rolvaliduntil, ARRAY(SELECT b.rolname FROM pg_catalog.pg_auth_members m JOIN pg_catalog.pg_roles b ON (m.roleid = b.oid) WHERE m.member = r.oid) as memberof, r.rolreplication FROM pg_catalog.pg_roles r ORDER BY 1; - Check permissions in a table:
SELECT grantee, privilege_type FROM information_schema.role_table_grants WHERE table_name='name-of-the-table'; - Kill all Connections:
SELECT pg_terminate_backend(pg_stat_activity.pid) FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE datname = current_database() AND pid <> pg_backend_pid();
Keyboard shortcuts
CTRL+R: reverse-i-search
Tools
ptopandpg_top:topfor PG. Available on the APT repository fromapt.postgresql.org.- pg_activity: Command line tool for PostgreSQL server activity monitoring.
- Unix-like reverse search in psql:
$ echo "bind "^R" em-inc-search-prev" > $HOME/.editrc $ source $HOME/.editrc - Show IP of the DB Instance:
SELECT inet_server_addr(); - File to save PostgreSQL credentials and permissions (format:
hostname:port:database:username:password):chmod 600 ~/.pgpass - Collect statistics of a database (useful to improve speed after a Database Upgrade as previous query plans are deleted):
ANALYZE VERBOSE; - To obtain the
CREATE TABLEquery of a table, any visual GUI like pgAdmin allows to easily, but else you can usepg_dump, e.g.:pg_dump -t '<schema>.<table>' --schema-only <database>(source)
Resources & Documentation
- Operations Cheat Sheet: Official PG wiki cheat sheet with an amazing amount of explanations of many topics, features, and many many internal implementation details
- Postgres Weekly newsletter: The best way IMHO to keep up to date with PG news
- 100 psql Tips: Name says all, lots of useful tips!
- PostgreSQL Exercises: An awesome resource to learn to learn SQL, teaching you with simple examples in a great visual way. Highly recommended.
- A Performance Cheat Sheet for PostgreSQL: Great explanations of
EXPLAIN,EXPLAIN ANALYZE,VACUUM, configuration parameters and more. Quite interesting if you need to tune-up a postgres setup. - annotated.conf: Annotations of all 269 postgresql.conf settings for PostgreSQL 10.
psql -c "\l+" -H -q postgres > out.html: Generate a html report of your databases (source: Daniel Westermann)