Skip to main content
Documents
Basic SyntaxMath FunctionsDate FunctionsJSON FunctionsDatabasesTables & Schema ManagementString FunctionsTriggersIndexes

PostgreSQL CREATE DATABASE

In PostgreSQL, a database is a collection of structured data stored and managed by a database management system (DBMS) in a computer, allowing for efficient data retrieval and modification. The `CREATE DATABASE` command is used to create a new database within the PostgreSQL system.

Usage

Databases in PostgreSQL are used to store and organize data for efficient retrieval and manipulation. The `CREATE DATABASE` statement is executed when a new database is needed to separate data for different applications, environments, or to start a new project.


CREATE DATABASE database_name
[WITH [OWNER = db_owner]
[TEMPLATE = template_database]
[ENCODING = encoding]
[LC_COLLATE = lc_collate]
[LC_CTYPE = lc_ctype]
[TABLESPACE = tablespace_name]
[CONNECTION LIMIT = conn_limit]];

In this syntax:

  • CREATE DATABASE database_name creates a new database with the specified name.
  • OWNER: Specifies the user who will own the new database.
  • TEMPLATE: Allows using an existing database as a template for the new one.
  • ENCODING: Sets the character encoding for the database.
  • LC_COLLATE and LC_CTYPE: Define locale-specific settings for string comparison and classification.
  • TABLESPACE: Specifies the tablespace where the database's files will be stored.
  • CONNECTION LIMIT: Limits the number of concurrent connections to the database.

Examples

1. Basic Database Creation


CREATE DATABASE my_database;

This example creates a new database named my_database using the default settings. This is suitable for quick setups or testing purposes.

2. Database with Specific Owner


CREATE DATABASE sales_db WITH OWNER = sales_admin;

Here, a new database called sales_db is created, and its ownership is assigned to the user sales_admin. This is useful when specific administrative rights are needed.

3. Database with Encoding and Locale


CREATE DATABASE project_db WITH ENCODING = 'UTF8' LC_COLLATE = 'en_US.UTF-8' LC_CTYPE = 'en_US.UTF-8';

This example creates project_db with specified text encoding and locale settings to ensure proper character sorting and formatting, which is essential for applications with specific regional requirements.

Tips and Best Practices

  • Choose meaningful names. Use descriptive names for databases to easily identify their purpose.
  • Assign owners carefully. Set the database owner to a user who requires administrative rights for better security and management.
  • Leverage templates. Use the TEMPLATE parameter to clone existing database structures for new projects.
  • Consider encoding and locale. Choose appropriate encoding and locale settings at the time of creation to avoid data handling issues later.
  • Monitor connection limits. Set reasonable connection limits to prevent overloading the database server.
  • Regular backups. Ensure regular backups are made to prevent data loss and facilitate recovery in case of failures.
  • Tablespace implications. Consider the performance and storage implications when choosing different tablespaces.