QUERIES AND COMMANDS THAT CAN BE USED IN PSQL
Postgresql provides attractive way to check all the queries and keywords that can be used with a backslash ‘\’
Below command can be used to check all the backslash commands in psql utility
postgres=# \?
General
\copyright show PostgreSQL usage and distribution terms
\crosstabview [COLUMNS] execute query and display results in crosstab
\errverbose show most recent error message at maximum verbosity
\g [FILE] or ; execute query (and send results to file or |pipe)
\gexec execute query, then execute each value in its result
\gset [PREFIX] execute query and store results in psql variables
\gx [FILE] as \g, but forces expanded output mode
\q quit psql
\watch [SEC] execute query every SEC seconds
Help
\? [commands] show help on backslash commands
\? options show help on psql command-line options
\? variables show help on special variables
\h [NAME] help on syntax of SQL commands, * for all commands
Query Buffer
\e [FILE] [LINE] edit the query buffer (or file) with external editor
\ef [FUNCNAME [LINE]] edit function definition with external editor
\ev [VIEWNAME [LINE]] edit view definition with external editor
\p show the contents of the query buffer
\r reset (clear) the query buffer
\s [FILE] display history or save it to file
\w FILE write query buffer to file
Input/Output
\copy ... perform SQL COPY with data stream to the client host
\echo [STRING] write string to standard output
\i FILE execute commands from file
\ir FILE as \i, but relative to location of current script
\o [FILE] send all query results to file or |pipe
\qecho [STRING] write string to query output stream (see \o)
Conditional
\if EXPR begin conditional block
\elif EXPR alternative within current conditional block
\else final alternative within current conditional block
\endif end conditional block
Informational
(options: S = show system objects, + = additional detail)
\d[S+] list tables, views, and sequences
\d[S+] NAME describe table, view, sequence, or index
\da[S] [PATTERN] list aggregates
\dA[+] [PATTERN] list access methods
\db[+] [PATTERN] list tablespaces
\dc[S+] [PATTERN] list conversions
\dC[+] [PATTERN] list casts
\dd[S] [PATTERN] show object descriptions not displayed elsewhere
\dD[S+] [PATTERN] list domains
\ddp [PATTERN] list default privileges
\dE[S+] [PATTERN] list foreign tables
\det[+] [PATTERN] list foreign tables
\des[+] [PATTERN] list foreign servers
\deu[+] [PATTERN] list user mappings
\dew[+] [PATTERN] list foreign-data wrappers
\df[antw][S+] [PATRN] list [only agg/normal/trigger/window] functions
\dF[+] [PATTERN] list text search configurations
\dFd[+] [PATTERN] list text search dictionaries
\dFp[+] [PATTERN] list text search parsers
\dFt[+] [PATTERN] list text search templates
\dg[S+] [PATTERN] list roles
\di[S+] [PATTERN] list indexes
\dl list large objects, same as \lo_list
\dL[S+] [PATTERN] list procedural languages
\dm[S+] [PATTERN] list materialized views
\dn[S+] [PATTERN] list schemas
\do[S+] [PATTERN] list operators
\dO[S+] [PATTERN] list collations
\dp [PATTERN] list table, view, and sequence access privileges
\drds [PATRN1 [PATRN2]] list per-database role settings
\dRp[+] [PATTERN] list replication publications
\dRs[+] [PATTERN] list replication subscriptions
\ds[S+] [PATTERN] list sequences
\dt[S+] [PATTERN] list tables
\dT[S+] [PATTERN] list data types
\du[S+] [PATTERN] list roles
\dv[S+] [PATTERN] list views
\dx[+] [PATTERN] list extensions
\dy[+] [PATTERN] list event triggers
\l[+] [PATTERN] list databases
\sf[+] FUNCNAME show a function's definition
\sv[+] VIEWNAME show a view's definition
\z [PATTERN] same as \dp
Formatting
\a toggle between unaligned and aligned output mode
\C [STRING] set table title, or unset if none
\f [STRING] show or set field separator for unaligned query output
\H toggle HTML output mode (currently off)
\pset [NAME [VALUE]] set table output option
(NAME := {border|columns|expanded|fieldsep|fieldsep_zero|
footer|format|linestyle|null|numericlocale|pager|
pager_min_lines|recordsep|recordsep_zero|tableattr|title|
tuples_only|unicode_border_linestyle|
unicode_column_linestyle|unicode_header_linestyle})
\t [on|off] show only rows (currently off)
\T [STRING] set HTML <table> tag attributes, or unset if none
\x [on|off|auto] toggle expanded output (currently off)
Connection
\c[onnect] {[DBNAME|- USER|- HOST|- PORT|-] | conninfo}
connect to new database (currently "postgres")
\conninfo display information about current connection
\encoding [ENCODING] show or set client encoding
\password [USERNAME] securely change the password for a user
Operating System
\cd [DIR] change the current working directory
\setenv NAME [VALUE] set or unset environment variable
\timing [on|off] toggle timing of commands (currently off)
\! [COMMAND] execute command in shell or start interactive shell
Variables
\prompt [TEXT] NAME prompt user to set internal variable
\set [NAME [VALUE]] set internal variable, or list all if no parameters
\unset NAME unset (delete) internal variable
Large Objects
\lo_export LOBOID FILE
\lo_import FILE [COMMENT]
\lo_list
\lo_unlink LOBOID large object operations
All DDL commands that can be used are printed using help \h
postgres=# \h
Available help:
ABORT CLUSTER CREATE VIEW DROP USER MAPPING
ALTER AGGREGATE COMMENT DEALLOCATE DROP VIEW
ALTER COLLATION COMMIT DECLARE END
ALTER CONVERSION COMMIT PREPARED DELETE EXECUTE
ALTER DATABASE COPY DISCARD EXPLAIN
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES CREATE ACCESS METHOD DO FETCH
ALTER DOMAIN CREATE AGGREGATE DROP ACCESS METHOD GRANT
ALTER EVENT TRIGGER CREATE CAST DROP AGGREGATE IMPORT FOREIGN SCHEMA
ALTER EXTENSION CREATE COLLATION DROP CAST INSERT
ALTER FOREIGN DATA WRAPPER CREATE CONVERSION DROP COLLATION LISTEN
ALTER FOREIGN TABLE CREATE DATABASE DROP CONVERSION LOAD
ALTER FUNCTION CREATE DOMAIN DROP DATABASE LOCK
ALTER GROUP CREATE EVENT TRIGGER DROP DOMAIN MOVE
ALTER INDEX CREATE EXTENSION DROP EVENT TRIGGER NOTIFY
ALTER LANGUAGE CREATE FOREIGN DATA WRAPPER DROP EXTENSION PREPARE
ALTER LARGE OBJECT CREATE FOREIGN TABLE DROP FOREIGN DATA WRAPPER PREPARE TRANSACTION
ALTER MATERIALIZED VIEW CREATE FUNCTION DROP FOREIGN TABLE REASSIGN OWNED
ALTER OPERATOR CREATE GROUP DROP FUNCTION REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW
ALTER OPERATOR CLASS CREATE INDEX DROP GROUP REINDEX
ALTER OPERATOR FAMILY CREATE LANGUAGE DROP INDEX RELEASE SAVEPOINT
ALTER POLICY CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW DROP LANGUAGE RESET
ALTER PUBLICATION CREATE OPERATOR DROP MATERIALIZED VIEW REVOKE
ALTER ROLE CREATE OPERATOR CLASS DROP OPERATOR ROLLBACK
ALTER RULE CREATE OPERATOR FAMILY DROP OPERATOR CLASS ROLLBACK PREPARED
ALTER SCHEMA CREATE POLICY DROP OPERATOR FAMILY ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT
ALTER SEQUENCE CREATE PUBLICATION DROP OWNED SAVEPOINT
ALTER SERVER CREATE ROLE DROP POLICY SECURITY LABEL
ALTER STATISTICS CREATE RULE DROP PUBLICATION SELECT
ALTER SUBSCRIPTION CREATE SCHEMA DROP ROLE SELECT INTO
ALTER SYSTEM CREATE SEQUENCE DROP RULE SET
ALTER TABLE CREATE SERVER DROP SCHEMA SET CONSTRAINTS
ALTER TABLESPACE CREATE STATISTICS DROP SEQUENCE SET ROLE
ALTER TEXT SEARCH CONFIGURATION CREATE SUBSCRIPTION DROP SERVER SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION
ALTER TEXT SEARCH DICTIONARY CREATE TABLE DROP STATISTICS SET TRANSACTION
ALTER TEXT SEARCH PARSER CREATE TABLE AS DROP SUBSCRIPTION SHOW
ALTER TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE CREATE TABLESPACE DROP TABLE START TRANSACTION
ALTER TRIGGER CREATE TEXT SEARCH CONFIGURATION DROP TABLESPACE TABLE
ALTER TYPE CREATE TEXT SEARCH DICTIONARY DROP TEXT SEARCH CONFIGURATION TRUNCATE
ALTER USER CREATE TEXT SEARCH PARSER DROP TEXT SEARCH DICTIONARY UNLISTEN
ALTER USER MAPPING CREATE TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE DROP TEXT SEARCH PARSER UPDATE
ALTER VIEW CREATE TRANSFORM DROP TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE VACUUM
ANALYZE CREATE TRIGGER DROP TRANSFORM VALUES
BEGIN CREATE TYPE DROP TRIGGER WITH
CHECKPOINT CREATE USER DROP TYPE
CLOSE CREATE USER MAPPING DROP USER