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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><title>CREATE TABLE AS</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" /><link rev="made" href="pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org" /><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets Vsnapshot" /><link rel="prev" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE" /><link rel="next" href="sql-createtablespace.html" title="CREATE TABLESPACE" /></head><body><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/transitional" class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="5" align="center">CREATE TABLE AS</th></tr><tr><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE">Prev</a> </td><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="u" href="sql-commands.html" title="SQL Commands">Up</a></td><th width="60%" align="center">SQL Commands</th><td width="10%" align="right"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 11.5 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="10%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="sql-createtablespace.html" title="CREATE TABLESPACE">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></hr></div><div class="refentry" id="SQL-CREATETABLEAS"><div class="titlepage"></div><a id="id-1.9.3.86.1" class="indexterm"></a><div class="refnamediv"><h2><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE AS</span></h2><p>CREATE TABLE AS — define a new table from the results of a query</p></div><div class="refsynopsisdiv"><h2>Synopsis</h2><pre class="synopsis">
CREATE [ [ GLOBAL | LOCAL ] { TEMPORARY | TEMP } | UNLOGGED ] TABLE [ IF NOT EXISTS ] <em class="replaceable"><code>table_name</code></em>
[ (<em class="replaceable"><code>column_name</code></em> [, ...] ) ]
[ WITH ( <em class="replaceable"><code>storage_parameter</code></em> [= <em class="replaceable"><code>value</code></em>] [, ... ] ) | WITH OIDS | WITHOUT OIDS ]
[ ON COMMIT { PRESERVE ROWS | DELETE ROWS | DROP } ]
[ TABLESPACE <em class="replaceable"><code>tablespace_name</code></em> ]
AS <em class="replaceable"><code>query</code></em>
[ WITH [ NO ] DATA ]
</pre></div><div class="refsect1" id="id-1.9.3.86.5"><h2>Description</h2><p>
<code class="command">CREATE TABLE AS</code> creates a table and fills it
with data computed by a <code class="command">SELECT</code> command.
The table columns have the
names and data types associated with the output columns of the
<code class="command">SELECT</code> (except that you can override the column
names by giving an explicit list of new column names).
</p><p>
<code class="command">CREATE TABLE AS</code> 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 <code class="command">SELECT</code> statement whenever it is
queried.
</p></div><div class="refsect1" id="id-1.9.3.86.6"><h2>Parameters</h2><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">GLOBAL</code> or <code class="literal">LOCAL</code></span></dt><dd><p>
Ignored for compatibility. Use of these keywords is deprecated;
refer to <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a> for details.
</p></dd></dl></div><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">TEMPORARY</code> or <code class="literal">TEMP</code></span></dt><dd><p>
If specified, the table is created as a temporary table.
Refer to <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a> for details.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">UNLOGGED</code></span></dt><dd><p>
If specified, the table is created as an unlogged table.
Refer to <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a> for details.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">IF NOT EXISTS</code></span></dt><dd><p>
Do not throw an error if a relation with the same name already exists.
A notice is issued in this case. Refer to <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a>
for details.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><em class="replaceable"><code>table_name</code></em></span></dt><dd><p>
The name (optionally schema-qualified) of the table to be created.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><em class="replaceable"><code>column_name</code></em></span></dt><dd><p>
The name of a column in the new table. If column names are not
provided, they are taken from the output column names of the query.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">WITH ( <em class="replaceable"><code>storage_parameter</code></em> [= <em class="replaceable"><code>value</code></em>] [, ... ] )</code></span></dt><dd><p>
This clause specifies optional storage parameters for the new table;
see <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html#SQL-CREATETABLE-STORAGE-PARAMETERS" title="Storage Parameters">Storage Parameters</a> for more
information. The <code class="literal">WITH</code> clause
can also include <code class="literal">OIDS=TRUE</code> (or just <code class="literal">OIDS</code>)
to specify that rows of the new table
should have OIDs (object identifiers) assigned to them, or
<code class="literal">OIDS=FALSE</code> to specify that the rows should not have OIDs.
See <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a> for more information.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">WITH OIDS</code><br /></span><span class="term"><code class="literal">WITHOUT OIDS</code></span></dt><dd><p>
These are obsolescent syntaxes equivalent to <code class="literal">WITH (OIDS)</code>
and <code class="literal">WITH (OIDS=FALSE)</code>, respectively. If you wish to give
both an <code class="literal">OIDS</code> setting and storage parameters, you must use
the <code class="literal">WITH ( ... )</code> syntax; see above.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">ON COMMIT</code></span></dt><dd><p>
The behavior of temporary tables at the end of a transaction
block can be controlled using <code class="literal">ON COMMIT</code>.
The three options are:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">PRESERVE ROWS</code></span></dt><dd><p>
No special action is taken at the ends of transactions.
This is the default behavior.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">DELETE ROWS</code></span></dt><dd><p>
All rows in the temporary table will be deleted at the end
of each transaction block. Essentially, an automatic <a class="xref" href="sql-truncate.html" title="TRUNCATE"><span class="refentrytitle">TRUNCATE</span></a> is done
at each commit.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">DROP</code></span></dt><dd><p>
The temporary table will be dropped at the end of the current
transaction block.
</p></dd></dl></div></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">TABLESPACE <em class="replaceable"><code>tablespace_name</code></em></code></span></dt><dd><p>
The <em class="replaceable"><code>tablespace_name</code></em> is the name
of the tablespace in which the new table is to be created.
If not specified,
<a class="xref" href="runtime-config-client.html#GUC-DEFAULT-TABLESPACE">default_tablespace</a> is consulted, or
<a class="xref" href="runtime-config-client.html#GUC-TEMP-TABLESPACES">temp_tablespaces</a> if the table is temporary.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><em class="replaceable"><code>query</code></em></span></dt><dd><p>
A <a class="xref" href="sql-select.html" title="SELECT"><span class="refentrytitle">SELECT</span></a>, <a class="link" href="sql-select.html#SQL-TABLE" title="TABLE Command">TABLE</a>, or <a class="xref" href="sql-values.html" title="VALUES"><span class="refentrytitle">VALUES</span></a>
command, or an <a class="xref" href="sql-execute.html" title="EXECUTE"><span class="refentrytitle">EXECUTE</span></a> command that runs a
prepared <code class="command">SELECT</code>, <code class="command">TABLE</code>, or
<code class="command">VALUES</code> query.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="literal">WITH [ NO ] DATA</code></span></dt><dd><p>
This clause specifies whether or not the data produced by the query
should be copied into the new table. If not, only the table structure
is copied. The default is to copy the data.
</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="refsect1" id="id-1.9.3.86.7"><h2>Notes</h2><p>
This command is functionally similar to <a class="xref" href="sql-selectinto.html" title="SELECT INTO"><span class="refentrytitle">SELECT INTO</span></a>, but it is
preferred since it is less likely to be confused with other uses of
the <code class="command">SELECT INTO</code> syntax. Furthermore, <code class="command">CREATE
TABLE AS</code> offers a superset of the functionality offered
by <code class="command">SELECT INTO</code>.
</p><p>
The <code class="command">CREATE TABLE AS</code> command allows the user to
explicitly specify whether OIDs should be included. If the
presence of OIDs is not explicitly specified,
the <a class="xref" href="runtime-config-compatible.html#GUC-DEFAULT-WITH-OIDS">default_with_oids</a> configuration variable is
used.
</p></div><div class="refsect1" id="id-1.9.3.86.8"><h2>Examples</h2><p>
Create a new table <code class="literal">films_recent</code> consisting of only
recent entries from the table <code class="literal">films</code>:
</p><pre class="programlisting">
CREATE TABLE films_recent AS
SELECT * FROM films WHERE date_prod >= '2002-01-01';
</pre><p>
</p><p>
To copy a table completely, the short form using
the <code class="literal">TABLE</code> command can also be used:
</p><pre class="programlisting">
CREATE TABLE films2 AS
TABLE films;
</pre><p>
</p><p>
Create a new temporary table <code class="literal">films_recent</code>, consisting of
only recent entries from the table <code class="literal">films</code>, using a
prepared statement. The new table has OIDs and will be dropped at commit:
</p><pre class="programlisting">
PREPARE recentfilms(date) AS
SELECT * FROM films WHERE date_prod > $1;
CREATE TEMP TABLE films_recent WITH (OIDS) ON COMMIT DROP AS
EXECUTE recentfilms('2002-01-01');
</pre></div><div class="refsect1" id="id-1.9.3.86.9"><h2>Compatibility</h2><p>
<code class="command">CREATE TABLE AS</code> conforms to the <acronym class="acronym">SQL</acronym>
standard. The following are nonstandard extensions:
</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist compact" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p>
The standard requires parentheses around the subquery clause; in
<span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span>, these parentheses are
optional.
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
In the standard, the <code class="literal">WITH [ NO ] DATA</code> clause
is required; in PostgreSQL it is optional.
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p><span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> handles temporary tables in a way
rather different from the standard; see
<a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a>
for details.
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
The <code class="literal">WITH</code> clause is a <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span>
extension; neither storage parameters nor OIDs are in the standard.
</p></li><li class="listitem"><p>
The <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> concept of tablespaces is not
part of the standard. Hence, the clause <code class="literal">TABLESPACE</code>
is an extension.
</p></li></ul></div></div><div class="refsect1" id="id-1.9.3.86.10"><h2>See Also</h2><span class="simplelist"><a class="xref" href="sql-creatematerializedview.html" title="CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW</span></a>, <a class="xref" href="sql-createtable.html" title="CREATE TABLE"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE TABLE</span></a>, <a class="xref" href="sql-execute.html" title="EXECUTE"><span class="refentrytitle">EXECUTE</span></a>, <a class="xref" href="sql-select.html" title="SELECT"><span class="refentrytitle">SELECT</span></a>, <a class="xref" href="sql-selectinto.html" title="SELECT INTO"><span class="refentrytitle">SELECT INTO</span></a>, <a class="xref" href="sql-values.html" title="VALUES"><span class="refentrytitle">VALUES</span></a></span></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr /><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="sql-createtable.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="sql-commands.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="sql-createtablespace.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">CREATE TABLE </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> CREATE TABLESPACE</td></tr></table></div></body></html>
