NAME¶

CREATE_TABLE_AS - define a new table from the results of a query

SYNOPSIS¶

CREATE [ [ GLOBAL | LOCAL ] { TEMPORARY | TEMP } | UNLOGGED ] TABLE table_name


    [ (column_name [, ...] ) ]


    [ WITH ( storage_parameter [= value] [, ... ] ) | WITH OIDS | WITHOUT OIDS ]


    [ ON COMMIT { PRESERVE ROWS | DELETE ROWS | DROP } ]


    [ TABLESPACE tablespace_name ]


    AS query


    [ WITH [ NO ] DATA ]

DESCRIPTION¶

CREATE TABLE AS creates a table and fills it with data computed by a SELECT command. The table columns have the names and data types associated with the output columns of the SELECT (except that you can override the column names by giving an explicit list of new column names).

CREATE TABLE AS bears some resemblance to creating a view, but it is really quite different: it creates a new table and evaluates the query just once to fill the new table initially. The new table will not track subsequent changes to the source tables of the query. In contrast, a view re-evaluates its defining SELECT statement whenever it is queried.

PARAMETERS¶

GLOBAL or LOCAL

TEMPORARY or TEMP

UNLOGGED

table_name

column_name

WITH ( storage_parameter [= value] [, ... ] )

WITH OIDS, WITHOUT OIDS

ON COMMIT

TABLESPACE tablespace_name

query

WITH [ NO ] DATA

NOTES¶

This command is functionally similar to SELECT INTO (SELECT_INTO(7)), but it is preferred since it is less likely to be confused with other uses of the SELECT INTO syntax. Furthermore, CREATE TABLE AS offers a superset of the functionality offered by SELECT INTO.

Prior to PostgreSQL 8.0, CREATE TABLE AS always included OIDs in the table it created. As of PostgreSQL 8.0, the CREATE TABLE AS command allows the user to explicitly specify whether OIDs should be included. If the presence of OIDs is not explicitly specified, the default_with_oids configuration variable is used. As of PostgreSQL 8.1, this variable is false by default, so the default behavior is not identical to pre-8.0 releases. Applications that require OIDs in the table created by CREATE TABLE AS should explicitly specify WITH (OIDS) to ensure desired behavior.

EXAMPLES¶

Create a new table films_recent consisting of only recent entries from the table films:

CREATE TABLE films_recent AS


  SELECT * FROM films WHERE date_prod >= '2002-01-01';

To copy a table completely, the short form using the TABLE command can also be used:

CREATE TABLE films2 AS


  TABLE films;

Create a new temporary table films_recent, consisting of only recent entries from the table films, using a prepared statement. The new table has OIDs and will be dropped at commit:

PREPARE recentfilms(date) AS


  SELECT * FROM films WHERE date_prod > $1;
CREATE TEMP TABLE films_recent WITH (OIDS) ON COMMIT DROP AS


  EXECUTE recentfilms('2002-01-01');

COMPATIBILITY¶

CREATE TABLE AS conforms to the SQL standard. The following are nonstandard extensions:

SEE ALSO¶

CREATE TABLE (CREATE_TABLE(7)), EXECUTE(7), SELECT(7), SELECT INTO (SELECT_INTO(7)), VALUES(7)