I. SQL Commands

This part contains reference information for the SQL commands supported by PostgreSQL . By "SQL" the language in general is meant; information about the standards conformance and compatibility of each command can be found on the respective reference page.

Table of Contents
ABORT  -- abort the current transaction
ALTER AGGREGATE  -- change the definition of an aggregate function
ALTER CONVERSION  -- change the definition of a conversion
ALTER DATABASE  -- change a database
ALTER DOMAIN  --  change the definition of a domain
ALTER FUNCTION  -- change the definition of a function
ALTER GROUP  -- change role name or membership
ALTER INDEX  -- change the definition of an index
ALTER LANGUAGE  -- change the definition of a procedural language
ALTER OPERATOR  -- change the definition of an operator
ALTER OPERATOR CLASS  -- change the definition of an operator class
ALTER ROLE  -- change a database role
ALTER SCHEMA  -- change the definition of a schema
ALTER SEQUENCE  --  change the definition of a sequence generator
ALTER TABLE  -- change the definition of a table
ALTER TABLESPACE  -- change the definition of a tablespace
ALTER TRIGGER  -- change the definition of a trigger
ALTER TYPE  --  change the definition of a type
ALTER USER  -- change a database role
ANALYZE  -- collect statistics about a database
BEGIN  -- start a transaction block
CHECKPOINT  -- force a transaction log checkpoint
CLOSE  -- close a cursor
CLUSTER  -- cluster a table according to an index
COMMENT  -- define or change the comment of an object
COMMIT  -- commit the current transaction
COMMIT PREPARED  -- commit a transaction that was earlier prepared for two-phase commit
COPY  -- copy data between a file and a table
CREATE AGGREGATE  -- define a new aggregate function
CREATE CAST  -- define a new cast
CREATE CONSTRAINT TRIGGER  -- define a new constraint trigger
CREATE CONVERSION  -- define a new encoding conversion
CREATE DATABASE  -- create a new database
CREATE DOMAIN  -- define a new domain
CREATE FUNCTION  -- define a new function
CREATE GROUP  -- define a new database role
CREATE INDEX  -- define a new index
CREATE LANGUAGE  -- define a new procedural language
CREATE OPERATOR  -- define a new operator
CREATE OPERATOR CLASS  -- define a new operator class
CREATE ROLE  -- define a new database role
CREATE RULE  -- define a new rewrite rule
CREATE SCHEMA  -- define a new schema
CREATE SEQUENCE  -- define a new sequence generator
CREATE TABLE  -- define a new table
CREATE TABLE AS  -- define a new table from the results of a query
CREATE TABLESPACE  -- define a new tablespace
CREATE TRIGGER  -- define a new trigger
CREATE TYPE  -- define a new data type
CREATE USER  -- define a new database role
CREATE VIEW  -- define a new view
DEALLOCATE  -- deallocate a prepared statement
DECLARE  -- define a cursor
DELETE  -- delete rows of a table
DROP AGGREGATE  -- remove an aggregate function
DROP CAST  -- remove a cast
DROP CONVERSION  -- remove a conversion
DROP DATABASE  -- remove a database
DROP DOMAIN  -- remove a domain
DROP FUNCTION  -- remove a function
DROP GROUP  -- remove a database role
DROP INDEX  -- remove an index
DROP LANGUAGE  -- remove a procedural language
DROP OPERATOR  -- remove an operator
DROP OPERATOR CLASS  -- remove an operator class
DROP OWNED  -- remove database objects owned by a database role
DROP ROLE  -- remove a database role
DROP RULE  -- remove a rewrite rule
DROP SCHEMA  -- remove a schema
DROP SEQUENCE  -- remove a sequence
DROP TABLE  -- remove a table
DROP TABLESPACE  -- remove a tablespace
DROP TRIGGER  -- remove a trigger
DROP TYPE  -- remove a data type
DROP USER  -- remove a database role
DROP VIEW  -- remove a view
END  -- commit the current transaction
EXECUTE  -- execute a prepared statement
EXPLAIN  -- show the execution plan of a statement
FETCH  -- retrieve rows from a query using a cursor
GRANT  -- define access privileges
INSERT  -- create new rows in a table
LISTEN  -- listen for a notification
LOAD  -- load or reload a shared library file
LOCK  -- lock a table
MOVE  -- position a cursor
NOTIFY  -- generate a notification
PREPARE  -- prepare a statement for execution
PREPARE TRANSACTION  -- prepare the current transaction for two-phase commit
REASSIGN OWNED  -- change the ownership of database objects owned by a database role
REINDEX  -- rebuild indexes
RELEASE SAVEPOINT  -- destroy a previously defined savepoint
RESET  -- restore the value of a run-time parameter to the default value
REVOKE  -- remove access privileges
ROLLBACK  -- abort the current transaction
ROLLBACK PREPARED  -- cancel a transaction that was earlier prepared for two-phase commit
ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT  -- roll back to a savepoint
SAVEPOINT  -- define a new savepoint within the current transaction
SELECT  -- retrieve rows from a table or view
SELECT INTO  -- define a new table from the results of a query
SET  -- change a run-time parameter
SET CONSTRAINTS  -- set constraint checking modes for the current transaction
SET ROLE  -- set the current user identifier of the current session
SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION  -- set the session user identifier and the current user identifier of the current session
SET TRANSACTION  -- set the characteristics of the current transaction
SHOW  -- show the value of a run-time parameter
START TRANSACTION  -- start a transaction block
TRUNCATE  -- empty a table or set of tables
UNLISTEN  -- stop listening for a notification
UPDATE  -- update rows of a table
VACUUM  -- garbage-collect and optionally analyze a database
VALUES  -- compute a set of rows