PostgreSQL is a leading open-source relational database management system, distinguished by its power, flexibility, and adherence to standards. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to create tables in PostgreSQL.

Understanding PostgreSQL Tables

Before diving into the actual creation process, it’s crucial to understand what tables are in the context. In essence, a table is a collection of related data held in structured format within a database. It comprises columns and rows, where each column denotes a certain attribute and each row signifies a specific record.

Creating a Simple Table in PostgreSQL

To create a table, the command CREATE TABLE is employed. Let’s start with a simple example. Suppose you’re managing a book database and you need a table called ‘books’. The syntax would look like this:

				
					CREATE TABLE books (
    book_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    title VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
    author VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
    publish_date DATE NOT NULL,
    genre VARCHAR(50),
    price NUMERIC(5,2)
);

In this instance, the ‘books’ table includes six columns: book_id, title, author, publish_date, genre, and price. Each column is declared with a specific data type and constraints.

Creating a Table from an Existing Table

Another efficient feature is the ability to create a new table based on an existing one. The CREATE TABLE AS statement can be used for this purpose.

				
					CREATE TABLE books_archive AS 
SELECT * FROM books 
WHERE publish_date < '2000-01-01';

In this case, a new table ‘books_archive’ is created, containing all the records from ‘books’ where the publish_date is before the year 2000.

Creating a Temporary Table

There might be instances where you need to create a temporary table for interim calculations. PostgreSQL offers the CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE command for such situations.

				
					CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE temp_books AS 
SELECT * FROM books 
WHERE price > 20.00;

Wrap up

Understanding how to create tables is fundamental when working with PostgreSQL. This guide has outlined how to create a simple table, a table with constraints, a table from an existing table, and a temporary table. 

Check how to install PostgreSQL: https://softwareto.tech/how-install-postgresql-on-windows/


Thanks for reading. Happy coding!