How to select a schema in postgres when using psql?

postgresql psql
mehany picture mehany · Dec 4, 2015 · Viewed 223.5k times · Source

I have a postgres database with multiple schemas. When I connect to the database from a shell with psql and I run \dt it uses the default connection schema which is public. Is there a flag I can specify or how can I change the schema?

Answer

Ciro Pedrini picture Ciro Pedrini · Dec 4, 2015

In PostgreSQL the system determines which table is meant by following a search path, which is a list of schemas to look in.

The first matching table in the search path is taken to be the one wanted, otherwise, if there is no match a error is raised, even if matching table names exist in other schemas in the database.

To show the current search path you can use the following command:

SHOW search_path;

And to put the new schema in the path, you could use:

SET search_path TO myschema;

Or if you want multiple schemas:

SET search_path TO myschema, public;

Reference: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/ddl-schemas.html

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