Update FAQ from Robert Treat
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Bruce Momjian
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doc/FAQ
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doc/FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL
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Last updated: Fri Mar 12 08:51:11 EST 2004
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Last updated: Mon Mar 29 00:07:11 EST 2004
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Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us)
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1.1) What is PostgreSQL? How is it pronounced?
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PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L. The name "Postgres" is also
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used in conversation.
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PostgreSQL is pronounced Post-Gres-Q-L. An audio file is available at
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http://www.postgresql.org/postgresql.mp3 for those would like to hear
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the pronunciation.
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PostgreSQL is an enhancement of the POSTGRES database management
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system, a next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL
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retains the powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it
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replaces the PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL.
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PostgreSQL is free and the complete source is available.
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system (and is still sometimes reffered to as simply "Postgres"), a
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next-generation DBMS research prototype. While PostgreSQL retains the
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powerful data model and rich data types of POSTGRES, it replaces the
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PostQuel query language with an extended subset of SQL. PostgreSQL is
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free and the complete source is available.
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PostgreSQL development is performed by a team of developers who all
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subscribe to the PostgreSQL development mailing list. The current
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coordinator is Marc G. Fournier (scrappy@PostgreSQL.org). (See section
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1.6 on how to join). This team is now responsible for all development
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of PostgreSQL. It is a community project and is not controlled by any
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company. To get involved, see the developer's
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FAQ,http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html
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company. To get involved, see the developer's FAQ at
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http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html
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The authors of PostgreSQL 1.01 were Andrew Yu and Jolly Chen. Many
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others have contributed to the porting, testing, debugging, and
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@ -149,7 +151,7 @@
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PostgreSQL Data Base Management System
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Portions copyright (c) 1996-2002, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
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Portions copyright (c) 1996-2004, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
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Portions Copyright (c) 1994-6 Regents of the University of California
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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
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@ -177,7 +179,7 @@
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1.3) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run on?
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In general, a modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run
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In general, any modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run
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PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at the
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time of release are listed in the installation instructions.
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@ -436,7 +438,7 @@
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These include PgAccess http://www.pgaccess.org), PgAdmin III
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(http://www.pgadmin.org, RHDB Admin (http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/ )
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and Rekall ( http://www.thekompany.com/products/rekall/, proprietary).
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There is also PHPPgAdmin ( http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/ ), a
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There is also PhpPgAdmin ( http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/ ), a
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web-based interface to PostgreSQL.
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See http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/GUITools for a more detailed
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By default, PostgreSQL only allows connections from the local machine
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using Unix domain sockets. Other machines will not be able to connect
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unless you add the -i flag to postmaster, and enable host-based
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authentication by modifying the file $PGDATA/pg_hba.conf accordingly.
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This will allow TCP/IP connections.
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unless you turn on tcpip_sockets in the postgresql.conf and enable
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host-based authentication by modifying the file $PGDATA/pg_hba.conf
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accordingly. This will allow TCP/IP connections.
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3.6) How do I tune the database engine for better performance?
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Certainly, indexes can speed up queries. The EXPLAIN command allows
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you to see how PostgreSQL is interpreting your query, and which
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Certainly, indexes can speed up queries. The EXPLAIN ANALYZE command
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allows you to see how PostgreSQL is interpreting your query, and which
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indexes are being used.
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If you are doing many INSERTs, consider doing them in a large batch
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@ -657,11 +659,14 @@
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4.3) How do I get a list of tables or other things I can see in psql?
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You can read the source code for psql in file
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pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c. It contains SQL commands that generate
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the output for psql's backslash commands. You can also start psql with
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the -E option so it will print out the queries it uses to execute the
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commands you give.
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Use the \dt command to see tables in psql. For a complete list of
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commands inside psql you can use \?. Alternatively you can read the
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source code for psql in file pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c, it
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contains SQL commands that generate the output for psql's backslash
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commands. You can also start psql with the -E option so it will print
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out the queries it uses to execute the commands you give. PostgreSQL
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also provides an SQLi compliant INFORMATION SCHEMA interface you can
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query to get information about the database.
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4.4) How do you remove a column from a table, or change its data type?
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@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
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alink="#0000ff">
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<H1>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL</H1>
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<P>Last updated: Fri Mar 12 08:51:11 EST 2004</P>
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<P>Last updated: Mon Mar 29 00:07:11 EST 2004</P>
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<P>Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (<A href=
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"mailto:pgman@candle.pha.pa.us">pgman@candle.pha.pa.us</A>)<BR>
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@ -156,11 +156,14 @@
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<H4><A name="1.1">1.1</A>) What is PostgreSQL? How is it pronounced?</H4>
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<P>PostgreSQL is pronounced <I>Post-Gres-Q-L</I>. The name "Postgres" is
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also used in conversation.</P>
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<P>PostgreSQL is pronounced <I>Post-Gres-Q-L</I>. An audio file is
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available at http://www.postgresql.org/postgresql.mp3 for those
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would like to hear the pronunciation.
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</P>
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<P>PostgreSQL is an enhancement of the POSTGRES database management
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system, a next-generation <SMALL>DBMS</SMALL> research prototype.
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system (and is still sometimes reffered to as simply "Postgres"),
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a next-generation <SMALL>DBMS</SMALL> research prototype.
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While PostgreSQL retains the powerful data model and rich data
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types of POSTGRES, it replaces the PostQuel query language with an
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extended subset of <SMALL>SQL</SMALL>. PostgreSQL is free and the
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@ -173,7 +176,7 @@
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section <a href="#1.6">1.6</a> on how to join). This team is now
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responsible for all development of PostgreSQL. It is a community
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project and is not controlled by any company. To get involved, see
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the developer's FAQ,<A href=
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the developer's FAQ at <A href=
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"http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html">http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/faqs/FAQ_DEV.html</A>
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</P>
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@ -197,7 +200,7 @@
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<P>PostgreSQL Data Base Management System</P>
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<P>Portions copyright (c) 1996-2002, PostgreSQL Global Development
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<P>Portions copyright (c) 1996-2004, PostgreSQL Global Development
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Group Portions Copyright (c) 1994-6 Regents of the University of
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California</P>
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@ -227,7 +230,7 @@
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<H4><A name="1.3">1.3</A>) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run
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on?</H4>
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<P>In general, a modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to
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<P>In general, any modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to
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run PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at
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the time of release are listed in the installation
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instructions.</P>
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@ -563,7 +566,7 @@
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href="http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/">http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/
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</a>) and Rekall (<a href="http://www.thekompany.com/products/rekall/">
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http://www.thekompany.com/products/rekall/</a>, proprietary). There is
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also PHPPgAdmin (<a href="http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/">
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also PhpPgAdmin (<a href="http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/">
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http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/ </a>), a web-based interface to
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PostgreSQL.</P>
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@ -651,7 +654,7 @@
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<P>By default, PostgreSQL only allows connections from the local
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machine using Unix domain sockets. Other machines will not be able
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to connect unless you add the <I>-i</I> flag to <I>postmaster</I>,
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to connect unless you turn on tcpip_sockets in the postgresql.conf
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<B>and</B> enable host-based authentication by modifying the file
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<I>$PGDATA/pg_hba.conf</I> accordingly. This will allow TCP/IP
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connections.</P>
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@ -660,7 +663,7 @@
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better performance?</H4>
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<P>Certainly, indexes can speed up queries. The
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<SMALL>EXPLAIN</SMALL> command allows you to see how PostgreSQL is
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<SMALL>EXPLAIN ANALYZE</SMALL> command allows you to see how PostgreSQL is
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interpreting your query, and which indexes are being used.</P>
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<P>If you are doing many <SMALL>INSERTs</SMALL>, consider doing
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@ -837,12 +840,15 @@
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<H4><A name="4.3">4.3</A>) How do I get a list of tables or other
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things I can see in <I>psql</I>?</H4>
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<P>You can read the source code for <I>psql</I> in file
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<I>pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c</I>. It contains
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<SMALL>SQL</SMALL> commands that generate the output for psql's
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backslash commands. You can also start <I>psql</I> with the
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<I>-E</I> option so it will print out the queries it uses to
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execute the commands you give.</P>
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<P>Use the \dt command to see tables in <I>psql</I>. For a complete list of
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commands inside psql you can use \?. Alternatively you can read the source
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code for <I>psql</I> in file <I>pgsql/src/bin/psql/describe.c</I>, it
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contains <SMALL>SQL</SMALL> commands that generate the output for
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<I>psql</I>'s backslash commands. You can also start <I>psql</I> with the
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<I>-E</I> option so it will print out the queries it uses to execute the
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commands you give. PostgreSQL also provides an <SMALL>SQLi</SMALL> compliant
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INFORMATION SCHEMA interface you can query to get information about the
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database.</P>
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<H4><A name="4.4">4.4</A>) How do you remove a column from a
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table, or change its data type?</H4>
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|
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