Thread: a very naive question about table names in Postgres
I have a very naïve question and don’t know where tp look for the answer. I use Postgres via AquaData Studio as a giant spreadsheet. I create tables and give them names. I see the table names and know how to manipulate them with simple SQL queries.
I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table X to the numerical inside the database.
Where is that mapping and how can I query it? On what page of the documentation do I find the answer?
I much prefer Postgres to Mysql for a variety of reasons, but mostly for its elegant string functions. But in Mysql it seems to be much easier to keep track of tables.
Martin Mueller
Professor emeritus of English and Classics
Northwestern University
I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table X to the numerical inside the database.
On 1/01/22 09:27, Martin Mueller wrote: > > I have a very naïve question and don’t know where tp look for the > answer. I use Postgres via AquaData Studio as a giant spreadsheet. I > create tables and give them names. I see the table names and know how > to manipulate them with simple SQL queries. > > I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory > /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If > I go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere > in the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table > X to the numerical inside the database. > > Where is that mapping and how can I query it? On what page of the > documentation do I find the answer? > > I much prefer Postgres to Mysql for a variety of reasons, but mostly > for its elegant string functions. But in Mysql it seems to be much > easier to keep track of tables. > > Martin Mueller > > Professor emeritus of English and Classics > > Northwestern University > Hi Martin. Don't know why you want the information you appear to be asking! However, if you are up to learning how to use psql from the command line, then you have an extremely powerful tool to use to query and manipulate tables in PostgreSQL! I set up SQL in text files and get psql to execute them (\i my_query.sql) -- you can execute SQL directly in psql, but that is really only good for very simply queries. I find that using psql & a text editor a lot easier than using a GUI based tool. Cheers, Gavin
I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table X to the numerical inside the database.
Check the pg_class table in the system catalog. The numeric value is the OID.Craig
Am Fri, Dec 31, 2021 at 08:27:59PM +0000 schrieb Martin Mueller: > I much prefer Postgres to Mysql for a variety of reasons, > but mostly for its elegant string functions. But in Mysql it > seems to be much easier to keep track of tables. May I ask for the context of "keep track of tables" ? Karsten -- GPG 40BE 5B0E C98E 1713 AFA6 5BC0 3BEA AC80 7D4F C89B
pá 31. 12. 2021 v 21:28 odesílatel Martin Mueller <martinmueller@northwestern.edu> napsal: > > I have a very naïve question and don’t know where tp look for the answer. I use Postgres via AquaData Studio as a giantspreadsheet. I create tables and give them names. I see the table names and know how to manipulate them with simpleSQL queries. > > > > I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in the system there mustbe a table that maps the name I gave to table X to the numerical inside the database. > > > > Where is that mapping and how can I query it? On what page of the documentation do I find the answer? There is a nice blogpost related. https://www.2ndquadrant.com/en/blog/postgresql-filename-to-table/ > > > I much prefer Postgres to Mysql for a variety of reasons, but mostly for its elegant string functions. But in Mysql itseems to be much easier to keep track of tables. > > > > Martin Mueller > > Professor emeritus of English and Classics > > Northwestern University > > > >
On 12/31/21 12:27 PM, Martin Mueller wrote:
> I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory
> /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I
> go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in
> the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table X
> to the numerical inside the database.
>
> Where is that mapping and how can I query it? On what page of the
> documentation do I find the answer?
Dear Prof. Mueller,
This question strikes Postgres people a bit like your teenager asking
where you keep the tallest ladder. There aren't many practical uses for
accessing these files directly, and if you do it's likely to break your
database. Could you speak a bit more about your goal here? Perhaps
someone can suggest a good way to achieve it.
Yours,
--
Paul ~{:-)
pj@illuminatedcomputing.com
On 12/31/21 12:27 PM, Martin Mueller wrote:
> I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory
> /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I
> go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in
> the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table X
> to the numerical inside the database.
>
> Where is that mapping and how can I query it? On what page of the
> documentation do I find the answer?
Dear Prof. Mueller,