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# PostgreSQL Cheat Sheet

**Info:** The commands and statements on this PostgreSQL cheat sheet work against any Postgres database, so you can use them wherever you run Postgres. If you're an enterprise looking for managed cloud Postgres built for the AI era, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) delivers performance, security, and native integration with the Lakehouse. If you're a developer or startup who needs to ship and scale fast, [Neon](https://neon.com) is the Postgres platform built for you.

![PostgreSQL Cheat Sheet](https://neon.com/postgresqltutorial/PostgreSQL-Cheat-Sheet-300x204.png?alignright)The **PostgreSQL cheat sheet** provides you with the common PostgreSQL commands and statements that enable you to work with PostgreSQL quickly and effectively.

## Download the PostgreSQL cheat sheet

We provide you with a 3-page PostgreSQL cheat sheet in PDF format. You can download and print it out for a quick reference to the most commonly used statements in PostgreSQL:

[Download the PostgreSQL Cheat Sheet](https://neon.com/postgresqltutorial/PostgreSQL-Cheat-Sheet.pdf)

## PostgreSQL commands

Access the PostgreSQL server from **psql** with a specific user:

```bash
psql -U [username];
```

For example, the following command uses the `postgres` user to access the PostgreSQL database server:

```bash
psql -U postgres
```

Connect to a specific database:

```text
\c database_name;
```

For example, the following command connects to the `dvdrental` database:

```
\c dvdrental;
You are now connected to database "dvdrental" as user "postgres".
```

To quit the psql:

```text
\q
```

[List all databases](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-administration/postgresql-show-databases) in the PostgreSQL database server

```
\l
```

List all schemas:

```
\dn
```

List all [stored procedures](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-plpgsql/introduction-to-postgresql-stored-procedures) and functions:

```text
\df
```

List all [views](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-views):

```
\dv
```

[Lists all tables](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-administration/postgresql-show-tables) in a current database.

```text
\dt
```

Or to get more information on tables in the current database:

```
\dt+
```

Get detailed information on a table.

```
\d+ table_name
```

Show a [stored procedure](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-plpgsql/postgresql-create-procedure) or [function](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-plpgsql/postgresql-create-function) code:

```
\df+ function_name
```

Show query output in the pretty format:

```
\x
```

List all users:

```
\du
```

Create a new [role](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-administration/postgresql-roles):

```sql
CREATE ROLE role_name;
```

Create a new role with a `username` and `password`:

```sql
CREATE ROLE username NOINHERIT LOGIN PASSWORD password;
```

Change the role for the current session to the `new_role`:

```sql
SET ROLE new_role;
```

Allow `role_1` to set its role as `role_2:`

```sql
GRANT role_2 TO role_1;
```

## Managing databases

[Create a new database](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-administration/postgresql-create-database):

```sql
CREATE DATABASE [IF NOT EXISTS] db_name;
```

[Delete a database permanently](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-administration/postgresql-drop-database):

```sql
DROP DATABASE [IF EXISTS] db_name;
```

## Managing tables

[Create a new table](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-create-table) or a [temporary table](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-temporary-table)

```sql
CREATE [TEMP] TABLE [IF NOT EXISTS] table_name(
   pk SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
   c1 type(size) NOT NULL,
   c2 type(size) NULL,
   ...
);
```

[Add a new column](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-add-column) to a table:

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name ADD COLUMN new_column_name TYPE;
```

[Drop a column](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-drop-column) in a table:

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name
DROP COLUMN column_name;
```

[Rename a column](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-rename-column):

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name
RENAME column_name TO new_column_name;
```

Set or remove a default value for a column:

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name
ALTER COLUMN [SET DEFAULT value | DROP DEFAULT]
```

Add a [primary key](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-primary-key)to a table.

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name
ADD PRIMARY KEY (column,...);
```

Remove the primary key from a table.

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name
DROP CONSTRAINT primary_key_constraint_name;
```

[Rename a table](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-rename-table).

```sql
ALTER TABLE table_name
RENAME TO new_table_name;
```

[Drop a table](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-drop-table) and its dependent objects:

```sql
DROP TABLE [IF EXISTS] table_name CASCADE;
```

## Managing views

[Create a view](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-views/managing-postgresql-views):

```sql
CREATE OR REPLACE view_name AS
query;
```

[Create a recursive view](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-views/postgresql-recursive-view):

```sql
CREATE RECURSIVE VIEW view_name(column_list) AS
SELECT column_list;
```

[Create a materialized view](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-views/postgresql-materialized-views):

```sql
CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW view_name
AS
query
WITH [NO] DATA;
```

Refresh a materialized view:

```sql
REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW CONCURRENTLY view_name;
```

Drop a view:

```sql
DROP VIEW [ IF EXISTS ] view_name;
```

Drop a materialized view:

```sql
DROP MATERIALIZED VIEW view_name;
```

Rename a view:

```sql
ALTER VIEW view_name RENAME TO new_name;
```

## Managing indexes

Creating an index with the specified name on a table

```sql
CREATE [UNIQUE] INDEX index_name
ON table (column,...)
```

Removing a specified index from a table

```sql
DROP INDEX index_name;
```

## Querying data from tables

Query all data from a table:

```sql
SELECT * FROM table_name;
```

Query data from specified columns of all rows in a table:

```sql
SELECT column_list
FROM table;
```

Query data and select unique rows:

```sql
SELECT DISTINCT (column)
FROM table;
```

Query data from a table with a filter:

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table
WHERE condition;
```

Assign an [alias](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-alias) to a column in the result set:

```sql
SELECT column_1 AS new_column_1, ...
FROM table;
```

Query data using the [`LIKE`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-like) operator:

```sql
SELECT * FROM table_name
WHERE column LIKE '%value%'
```

Query data using the [BETWEEN](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-between) operator:

```sql
SELECT * FROM table_name
WHERE column BETWEEN low AND high;
```

Query data using the [IN](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-in) operator:

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table_name
WHERE column IN (value1, value2,...);
```

Constrain the returned rows with the [`LIMIT`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-limit) clause:

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table_name
LIMIT limit OFFSET offset
ORDER BY column_name;
```

Query data from multiple using the [inner join](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-inner-join), [left join](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-left-join), [full outer join](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-full-outer-join), [cross join](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-cross-join) and [natural join](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-natural-join):

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table1
INNER JOIN table2 ON conditions
```

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table1
LEFT JOIN table2 ON conditions
```

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table1
FULL OUTER JOIN table2 ON conditions
```

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table1
CROSS JOIN table2;
```

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table1
NATURAL JOIN table2;
```

Return the number of rows of a table.

```sql
SELECT COUNT (*)
FROM table_name;
```

Sort rows in ascending or descending order:

```sql
SELECT select_list
FROM table
ORDER BY column ASC [DESC], column2 ASC [DESC],...;
```

Group rows using [`GROUP BY`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-group-by) clause.

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table
GROUP BY column_1, column_2, ...;
```

Filter groups using the [`HAVING`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-having) clause.

```sql
SELECT *
FROM table
GROUP BY column_1
HAVING condition;
```

## Set operations

Combine the result set of two or more queries with [`UNION`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-union) operator:

```sql
SELECT * FROM table1
UNION
SELECT * FROM table2;
```

Minus a result set using [`EXCEPT`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-except/) operator:

```sql
SELECT * FROM table1
EXCEPT
SELECT * FROM table2;
```

Get the intersection of the result sets of two queries:

```sql
SELECT * FROM table1
INTERSECT
SELECT * FROM table2;
```

## Modifying data

[Insert a new row into a table](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-insert):

```sql
INSERT INTO table(column1,column2,...)
VALUES(value_1,value_2,...);
```

Insert multiple rows into a table:

```sql
INSERT INTO table_name(column1,column2,...)
VALUES(value_1,value_2,...),
      (value_1,value_2,...),
      (value_1,value_2,...),
      ...;
```

[Update](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-update) data for all rows:

```sql
UPDATE table_name
SET column_1 = value_1,
    ...;
```

Update data for a set of rows specified by a condition in the `WHERE` clause.

```sql
UPDATE table
SET column_1 = value_1,
    ...
WHERE condition;
```

[Delete all rows](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-delete) of a table:

```sql
DELETE FROM table_name;
```

Delete specific rows based on a condition:

```sql
DELETE FROM table_name
WHERE condition;
```

## Performance

Show the query plan for a query:

```sql
EXPLAIN query;
```

Show and execute the query plan for a query:

```sql
EXPLAIN ANALYZE query;
```

Collect statistics:

```sql
ANALYZE table_name;
```

---

## Related docs (Introduction)

- [Getting Started](https://neon.com/postgresql/getting-started)