Thread: exploring data
Hello, I'm a mysql user who's trying to learn postgres. How would I explore which databases or tables are available for use? If I were using mysql, I would try something like this: mysql> show databases; mysql> use test; mysql> show tables; How would I accomplish something like this in postgres? - Willie ---- Willie Northway - Software Developer http://www.willienorthway.com/ Diamond Bullet Design - http://www.diamondbullet.com
-- john Sometime in June Willie Northway assaulted keyboard and produced... | |Hello, I'm a mysql user who's trying to learn postgres. How would I |explore which databases or tables are available for use? | |If I were using mysql, I would try something like this: | |mysql> show databases; |mysql> use test; normally when postgres is started you tell it the database. so it looks something like psql dbname then to show the tables dbname=# \d will list all the tables, sequences, etc in a "more" fashion then to get info about a table just type dbname=# \d table this will give you a list of the columns and datatypes. i dont know how to list the available databaes. i hope this helps. |mysql> show tables; | |How would I accomplish something like this in postgres? | |- Willie | |---- |Willie Northway - Software Developer http://www.willienorthway.com/ |Diamond Bullet Design - http://www.diamondbullet.com | | |---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- |TIP 6: Have you searched our list archives? | |http://www.postgresql.org/search.mpl |
type \? for a list of all the \ commands.. one of them will give you how to list the DB's and another will show you how to list the tables.. I know it's kinda different.. I come from a SQL7 world.. Travis -----Original Message----- From: Willie Northway [mailto:willn@diamondbullet.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 1:18 PM To: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org Subject: [NOVICE] exploring data Hello, I'm a mysql user who's trying to learn postgres. How would I explore which databases or tables are available for use? If I were using mysql, I would try something like this: mysql> show databases; mysql> use test; mysql> show tables; How would I accomplish something like this in postgres? - Willie ---- Willie Northway - Software Developer http://www.willienorthway.com/ Diamond Bullet Design - http://www.diamondbullet.com ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 6: Have you searched our list archives? http://www.postgresql.org/search.mpl
On Wed, 27 Jun 2001 harrold@sage.che.pitt.edu wrote: > normally when postgres is started you tell it the database. Is there a way to just start the postgres client, and switch databases after seeing what is available? Or would I have to connect using a dummy database, browse, then switch? > then to show the tables > dbname=# \d this definitely helps, thanks. > i dont know how to list the available databaes. I started browsing the source code, and found \l (as in L) lists the databases. - Willie
After some digging in the source code, namely this file: "src/bin/psql/describe.c" -> I've found the "real" SQL commands which the backslash commands use: to list databases: \list or \l or SELECT datname FROM pg_database WHERE datname !~ '^template'; to list tables in the currently used database: \d or SELECT relname FROM pg_class WHERE relname!~ '^pg_'; - Willie ---- Willie Northway - Software Developer http://www.willienorthway.com/ Diamond Bullet Design - http://www.diamondbullet.com
On 27 Jun 2001 17:25:55 -0400, Willie Northway wrote: > > After some digging in the source code, namely this file: > "src/bin/psql/describe.c" -> I've found the "real" SQL commands > which the backslash commands use: Why didn't you use `psql -E` ;) -- Nabil Sayegh