PostgreSQL CREATE DATABASE Statement

Summary: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a new database using the PostgreSQL CREATE DATABASE statement.

PostgreSQL CREATE DATABASE statement overview #

In PostgreSQL, a database is a collection of schemas, tables, views, indexes, and other objects. PostgreSQL isolates each database from others, ensuring security.

Each PostgreSQL server can have multiple databases. You can create a new database using the CREATE DATABASE statement.

Here’s the basic syntax of the CREATE DATABASE statement:

CREATE DATABASE database_name;Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

The CREATE DATABASE statement requires only the database name.

The CREATE DATABASE has many other options I’ll cover in the following tutorial.

If you create a database that already exists, you’ll encounter an error.

We’ll show you how to create a database using psql and pgAdmin tools.

Create a new database using psql #

First, open a terminal on Linux or a command prompt on Windows and connect to your local PostgreSQL using the psql command:

psql -U postgresCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

It’ll prompt you to enter the password for the postgres user. You need enter a valid password for the postgres user to connect.

Second, execute the CREATE DATABASE statement to create a new database:

CREATE DATABASE sales;Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

PostgreSQL will create a new database with the name sales.

If the sales database already exists, you’ll get the following error:

ERROR: database "sales" already existsCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Third, display detailed information about the sales database by executing the following command:

\l salesCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Output:

                                                                List of databases
 Name  |  Owner   | Encoding | Locale Provider |          Collate           |           Ctype            | Locale | ICU Rules | Access privileges
-------+----------+----------+-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------+--------+-----------+-------------------
 sales | postgres | UTF8     | libc            | English_United States.1252 | English_United States.1252 |        |           |Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Alternatively, you can retrieve database names from the pg_database view using the following query:

SELECT
  datname
FROM
  pg_database
WHERE
  datname = 'sales';Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

Output:

 datname
---------
 salesCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Current Database #

When connecting to a PostgreSQL using psql without specifying a database, you’re connecting to the postgres database by default. The postgres database becomes the current database.

The prompt looks like this:

postgres=#Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Alternatively, you can check the current database in psql using the \c command:

\cCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

It’ll return the following output:

You are now connected to the database "postgres" as user "postgres".Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

After creating a new database, you can switch the current database to it using the \c command:

\c database_nameCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

For example, the following command changes the current database to the sales database:

\c salesCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

The prompt will be like the following:

sales=#Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

It indicates that the current database is sales.

Create a new database using pgAdmin #

If you prefer a graphical user interface (GUI), pgAdmin is an excellent tool for managing and interacting PostgreSQL databases.

Step 1: Open pgAdmin #

• First, launch pgAdmin application.
• Second, connect to your PostgreSQL server.

Step 2: Navigate to Databases #

• First, expand the Servers section in the left sidebar.
• Second, expand your PostgreSQL server.
• Third, right-click on Databases.
• Finally, select Create > Database…

Step 3: Configure the Database #

• First, enter a name for your database in the Database input field, such as hr.
• Second, click the Save button to create the database.

Behind the scenes, pgAdmin uses the CREATE DATABASE statement to create the hr database.

Step 4: Verify the Database #

You’ll see the new database appear under the Databases section in pgAdmin:

Database owner #

The user you use to create a database becomes the database owner. The database owner is a role (or user) that has special privileges, including:

• Full control over the database: The owner can create, alter, and modify database objects (tables, views, indexes, functions, etc.).
• Grant and revoke privileges: The owner can grant and revoke permissions on database objects to other users.
• Drop the database: Only the owner (or a superuser) can delete the database.
• Manage extensions: the owner can manage extensions within the database.

In the previous example, we used the postgres user, a superuser, to create the sales and hr databases. Therefore, the postgres user became the database owner of the sales and hr databases.

The following query returns the database names and owners:

SELECT
  datname,
  pg_catalog.pg_get_userbyid (datdba) AS owner
FROM
  pg_database
WHERE
  datname IN ('sales', 'hr');Code language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Output:

 datname |  owner
---------+----------
 sales   | postgres
 hr      | postgresCode language: PostgreSQL SQL dialect and PL/pgSQL (pgsql)

Note that you can change the owner of a database using the ALTER DATABASE statement.

Summary #

• Use the CREATE DATABASE statement to create a new database.