CREATE TABLE ASQL)- Language Statements (2002-1CREATE TABLE AS(l)
NAME
CREATE TABLE AS - create a new table from the results of a
query
SYNOPSIS
CREATE [ [ LOCAL ] { TEMPORARY | TEMP } ] TABLE table_name [ (column_name [, ...] ) ]
AS query
DESCRIPTION
CREATE TABLE AS creates a table and fills it with data
computed by a SELECT command. The table columns have the
names and data types associated with the output columns of
the SELECT (except that you can override the column names by
giving an explicit list of new column names).
CREATE TABLE AS bears some resemblance to creating a view,
but it is really quite different: it creates a new table and
evaluates the query just once to fill the new table
initially. The new table will not track subsequent changes
to the source tables of the query. In contrast, a view re-
evaluates its defining SELECT statement whenever it is
queried.
PARAMETERS
[LOCAL] TEMPORARY or [LOCAL] TEMP
If specified, the table is created as a temporary
table. Refer to CREATE TABLE [create_table(l)] for
details.
table_name
The name (optionally schema-qualified) of the table to
be created.
column_name
The name of a column in the new table. Multiple column
names can be specified using a comma-delimited list of
column names. If column names are not provided, they
are taken from the output column names of the query.
query
A query statement (that is, a SELECT command). Refer to
SELECT [select(l)] for a description of the allowed
syntax.
DIAGNOSTICS
Refer to CREATE TABLE [create_table(l)] and SELECT
[select(l)] for a summary of possible output messages.
NOTES
This command is functionally equivalent to SELECT INTO
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CREATE TABLE ASQL)- Language Statements (2002-1CREATE TABLE AS(l)
[select_into(l)], but it is preferred since it is less
likely to be confused with other uses of the SELECT ... INTO
syntax.
COMPATIBILITY
This command is modeled after an Oracle feature. There is no
command with equivalent functionality in SQL92 or SQL99.
However, a combination of CREATE TABLE and INSERT ... SELECT
can accomplish the same thing with little more effort.
HISTORY
The CREATE TABLE AS command has been available since
PostgreSQL 6.3.
SEE ALSO
CREATE TABLE [create_table(l)], CREATE VIEW
[create_view(l)], SELECT [select(l)], SELECT INTO
[select_into(l)]
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