SELECT INTO
SQL - Language Statements
SELECT INTO
create a new table from the results of a query
2000-12-11
SELECT [ ALL | DISTINCT [ ON ( expression [, ...] ) ] ]
* | expression [ AS output_name ] [, ...]
INTO [ TEMPORARY | TEMP ] [ TABLE ] new_table
[ FROM from_item [, ...] ]
[ WHERE condition ]
[ GROUP BY expression [, ...] ]
[ HAVING condition [, ...] ]
[ { UNION | INTERSECT | EXCEPT } [ ALL ] select ]
[ ORDER BY expression [ ASC | DESC | USING operator ] [, ...] ]
[ FOR UPDATE [ OF tablename [, ...] ] ]
[ LIMIT [ start , ] { count | ALL } ]
[ OFFSET start ]
where from_item can be:
[ ONLY ] table_name [ * ]
[ [ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias_list ) ] ]
|
( select )
[ AS ] alias [ ( column_alias_list ) ]
|
from_item [ NATURAL ] join_type from_item
[ ON join_condition | USING ( join_column_list ) ]
2001-03-20
Inputs
TEMPORARY
TEMP
If TEMPORARY or TEMP is specified,
the output table is created only within this session, and is
automatically dropped on session exit.
Existing permanent tables with the same name are not visible
(in this session) while the temporary table exists.
Any indexes created on a temporary table are automatically
temporary as well.
new_table
The name of the new table to be created.
This table must not already exist. However, a temporary table
can be created that has the same name as an existing permanent
table.
All other inputs are described in detail for
.
2001-03-20
Outputs
Refer to
and
for a summary of possible output messages.
2001-03-20
Description
SELECT INTO creates a new table and fills it
with data computed by a query. The data is not returned to the
client, as it is with a normal SELECT. The new
table's columns have the names and data types associated with the
output columns of the SELECT.
is functionally equivalent to SELECT INTO.
CREATE TABLE AS is the recommended syntax, since
SELECT INTO is not standard. In fact, this form of
SELECT INTO is not available in PL/pgSQL or ,
because they interpret the INTO clause differently.
Compatibility
SQL92 uses SELECT ... INTO to represent selecting
values into scalar variables of a host program, rather than creating
a new table. This indeed is the usage found in PL/pgSQL and .
The PostgreSQL usage of SELECT
INTO to represent table creation is historical. It's best
to use CREATE TABLE AS for this purpose in new code.
(CREATE TABLE AS isn't standard either, but it's
less likely to cause confusion.)