CREATE SCHEMA(7) SQL Commands CREATE SCHEMA(7)NAME
CREATE SCHEMA - define a new schema
SYNOPSIS
CREATE SCHEMA schemaname [ AUTHORIZATION username ] [ schema_element [ ... ] ]
CREATE SCHEMA AUTHORIZATION username [ schema_element [ ... ] ]
DESCRIPTION
CREATE SCHEMA enters a new schema into the current database. The
schema name must be distinct from the name of any existing schema in
the current database.
A schema is essentially a namespace: it contains named objects (tables,
data types, functions, and operators) whose names can duplicate those
of other objects existing in other schemas. Named objects are accessed
either by ``qualifying'' their names with the schema name as a prefix,
or by setting a search path that includes the desired schema(s). A CRE‐
ATE command specifying an unqualified object name creates the object in
the current schema (the one at the front of the search path, which can
be determined with the function current_schema).
Optionally, CREATE SCHEMA can include subcommands to create objects
within the new schema. The subcommands are treated essentially the same
as separate commands issued after creating the schema, except that if
the AUTHORIZATION clause is used, all the created objects will be owned
by that user.
PARAMETERS
schemaname
The name of a schema to be created. If this is omitted, the
username is used as the schema name. The name cannot begin with
pg_, as such names are reserved for system schemas.
username
The role name of the user who will own the new schema. If omit‐
ted, defaults to the user executing the command. To create a
schema owned by another role, you must be a direct or indirect
member of that role, or be a superuser.
schema_element
An SQL statement defining an object to be created within the
schema. Currently, only CREATE TABLE, CREATE VIEW, CREATE INDEX,
CREATE SEQUENCE, CREATE TRIGGER and GRANT are accepted as
clauses within CREATE SCHEMA. Other kinds of objects may be cre‐
ated in separate commands after the schema is created.
NOTES
To create a schema, the invoking user must have the CREATE privilege
for the current database. (Of course, superusers bypass this check.)
EXAMPLES
Create a schema:
CREATE SCHEMA myschema;
Create a schema for user joe; the schema will also be named joe:
CREATE SCHEMA AUTHORIZATION joe;
Create a schema and create a table and view within it:
CREATE SCHEMA hollywood
CREATE TABLE films (title text, release date, awards text[])
CREATE VIEW winners AS
SELECT title, release FROM films WHERE awards IS NOT NULL;
Notice that the individual subcommands do not end with semicolons.
The following is an equivalent way of accomplishing the same result:
CREATE SCHEMA hollywood;
CREATE TABLE hollywood.films (title text, release date, awards text[]);
CREATE VIEW hollywood.winners AS
SELECT title, release FROM hollywood.films WHERE awards IS NOT NULL;
COMPATIBILITY
The SQL standard allows a DEFAULT CHARACTER SET clause in CREATE
SCHEMA, as well as more subcommand types than are presently accepted by
PostgreSQL.
The SQL standard specifies that the subcommands in CREATE SCHEMA can
appear in any order. The present PostgreSQL implementation does not
handle all cases of forward references in subcommands; it might some‐
times be necessary to reorder the subcommands in order to avoid forward
references.
According to the SQL standard, the owner of a schema always owns all
objects within it. PostgreSQL allows schemas to contain objects owned
by users other than the schema owner. This can happen only if the
schema owner grants the CREATE privilege on his schema to someone else,
or a superuser chooses to create objects in it.
SEE ALSO
ALTER SCHEMA [alter_schema(7)], DROP SCHEMA [drop_schema(7)]
SQL - Language Statements 2014-07-21 CREATE SCHEMA(7)
