PostgreSQL convert columns to rows? Transpose?

Question

I have a PostgreSQL function (or table) which gives me the following output:

Sl.no    username    Designation    salary   etc..
 1        A           XYZ            10000    ...
 2        B           RTS            50000    ...
 3        C           QWE            20000    ...
 4        D           HGD            34343    ...

Now I want the Output as below:

Sl.no            1       2        3       4       ...
 Username        A       B        C       D       ...
 Designation     XYZ     RTS      QWE     HGD     ...
 Salary          10000   50000    20000   34343   ...

How to do this?

Answer 1

Basing my answer on a table of the form:

CREATE TABLE tbl (
   sl_no int
 , username text
 , designation text
 , salary int
);

Each row results in a new column to return. With a dynamic return type like this, it's hardly possible to make this completely dynamic with a single call to the database. Demonstrating solutions with two steps:

1. Generate query
2. Execute generated query

Generally, this is limited by the maximum number of columns a table can hold. So not an option for tables with more than 1600 rows (or fewer). Details:

• What is the maximum number of columns in a PostgreSQL select query

Postgres 9.3 or older

Dynamic solution with crosstab()

• Completely dynamic, works for any table. Provide the table name in two places:

SELECT 'SELECT *
FROM   crosstab(
       ''SELECT unnest(''' || quote_literal(array_agg(attname))
                           || '''::text[]) AS col
             , row_number() OVER ()
             , unnest(ARRAY[' || string_agg(quote_ident(attname)
                              || '::text', ',') || ']) AS val
        FROM   ' || attrelid::regclass || '
        ORDER  BY generate_series(1,' || count(*) || '), 2''
   ) t (col text, '
     || (SELECT string_agg('r'|| rn ||' text', ',')
         FROM (SELECT row_number() OVER () AS rn FROM tbl) t)
     || ')' AS sql
FROM   pg_attribute
WHERE  attrelid = 'tbl'::regclass
AND    attnum > 0
AND    NOT attisdropped
GROUP  BY attrelid;

Could be wrapped into a function with a single parameter ...
Generates a query of the form:

SELECT *
FROM   crosstab(
       'SELECT unnest(''{sl_no,username,designation,salary}''::text[]) AS col
             , row_number() OVER ()
             , unnest(ARRAY[sl_no::text,username::text,designation::text,salary::text]) AS val
        FROM   tbl
        ORDER  BY generate_series(1,4), 2'
   ) t (col text, r1 text,r2 text,r3 text,r4 text)

Produces the desired result:

col         r1    r2      r3     r4
-----------------------------------
sl_no       1      2      3      4
username    A      B      C      D
designation XYZ    RTS    QWE    HGD
salary      10000  50000  20000  34343

Simple solution with unnest()

SELECT 'SELECT unnest(''{sl_no, username, designation, salary}''::text[] AS col)
     , ' || string_agg('unnest('
                    || quote_literal(ARRAY[sl_no::text, username::text, designation::text, salary::text])
                    || '::text[]) AS row' || sl_no, E'\n     , ') AS sql
FROM   tbl;

• Slow for tables with more than a couple of columns.

Generates a query of the form:

SELECT unnest('{sl_no, username, designation, salary}'::text[]) AS col
     , unnest('{10,Joe,Music,1234}'::text[]) AS row1
     , unnest('{11,Bob,Movie,2345}'::text[]) AS row2
     , unnest('{12,Dave,Theatre,2356}'::text[]) AS row3
     , unnest('{4,D,HGD,34343}'::text[]) AS row4

Same result.

Postgres 9.4+

Dynamic solution with crosstab()

Use this if you can. Beats the rest.

SELECT 'SELECT *
FROM   crosstab(
       $ct$SELECT u.attnum, t.rn, u.val
        FROM  (SELECT row_number() OVER () AS rn, * FROM '
                              || attrelid::regclass || ') t
             , unnest(ARRAY[' || string_agg(quote_ident(attname)
                              || '::text', ',') || '])
                 WITH ORDINALITY u(val, attnum)
        ORDER  BY 1, 2$ct$
   ) t (attnum bigint, '
     || (SELECT string_agg('r'|| rn ||' text', ', ')
         FROM  (SELECT row_number() OVER () AS rn FROM tbl) t)
     || ')' AS sql
FROM   pg_attribute
WHERE  attrelid = 'tbl'::regclass
AND    attnum > 0
AND    NOT attisdropped
GROUP  BY attrelid;

Operating with attnum instead of actual column names. Simpler and faster. Join the result to pg_attribute once more or integrate column names like in the pg 9.3 example.
Generates a query of the form:

SELECT *
FROM   crosstab(
       $ct$SELECT u.attnum, t.rn, u.val
        FROM  (SELECT row_number() OVER () AS rn, * FROM tbl) t
             , unnest(ARRAY[sl_no::text,username::text,designation::text,salary::text])
                WITH ORDINALITY u(val, attnum)
        ORDER  BY 1, 2$ct$
   ) t (attnum bigint, r1 text, r2 text, r3 text, r4 text);

This uses a whole range of advanced features. Just too much to explain.

Simple solution with unnest()

One unnest() can now take multiple arrays to unnest in parallel.

SELECT 'SELECT * FROM unnest(
  ''{sl_no, username, designation, salary}''::text[]
, ' || string_agg(quote_literal(ARRAY[sl_no::text, username::text, designation::text, salary::text])
              || '::text[]', E'\n, ')
    || E') \n AS t(col,' || string_agg('row' || sl_no, ',') || ')' AS sql
FROM   tbl;

Result:

SELECT * FROM unnest(
 '{sl_no, username, designation, salary}'::text[]
,'{10,Joe,Music,1234}'::text[]
,'{11,Bob,Movie,2345}'::text[]
,'{12,Dave,Theatre,2356}'::text[])
 AS t(col,row1,row2,row3,row4)

SQL Fiddle running on pg 9.3.