ysqlsh meta-command examples

Create a database

Start a ysqlsh session and enter the following command to create and connect to a database:

CREATE DATABASE testdb;
\c testdb;

The following command to create a table shows how a SQL statement can be spread over several lines of input. Notice the changing prompt:

CREATE TABLE my_table (
     first integer not null default 0,
     second text)
;

testdb=# CREATE TABLE my_table (
testdb(#    first integer not null default 0,
testdb(#    second text)
testdb-# ;
CREATE TABLE

Look at the table definition:

\d my_table

              Table "public.my_table"
 Column |  Type   | Collation | Nullable | Default
--------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
 first  | integer |           | not null | 0
 second | text    |           |          |

Fill the table with data:

INSERT INTO my_table VALUES (1, 'one');
INSERT INTO my_table VALUES (2, 'two');
INSERT INTO my_table VALUES (3, 'three');
INSERT INTO my_table VALUES (4, 'four');

SELECT * FROM my_table;

 first | second
-------+--------
     1 | one
     2 | two
     3 | three
     4 | four
(4 rows)

Change the prompt

To change the prompt to something more interesting:

\set PROMPT1 '%n@%m %~%R%# '

yugabyte@localhost testdb=#

crosstabview

When suitable, query results can be shown in a crosstab representation with the \crosstabview command:

SELECT first, second, first > 2 AS gt2 FROM my_table;

 first | second | gt2
-------+--------+-----
     1 | one    | f
     2 | two    | f
     3 | three  | t
     4 | four   | t
(4 rows)

\crosstabview first second

 first | one | two | three | four
-------+-----+-----+-------+------
     1 | f   |     |       |
     2 |     | f   |       |
     3 |     |     | t     |
     4 |     |     |       | t
(4 rows)

The following example shows a multiplication table with rows sorted in reverse numerical order and columns with an independent, ascending numerical order.

SELECT t1.first as "A", t2.first+100 AS "B", t1.first*(t2.first+100) as "AxB",
 row_number() over(order by t2.first) AS ord
 FROM my_table t1 CROSS JOIN my_table t2 ORDER BY 1 DESC
 \crosstabview "A" "B" "AxB" ord

 A | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104
---+-----+-----+-----+-----
 4 | 404 | 408 | 412 | 416
 3 | 303 | 306 | 309 | 312
 2 | 202 | 204 | 206 | 208
 1 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104
(4 rows)

pset

You can display tables in different ways by using the \pset command:

\pset border 2

Border style is 2.

SELECT * FROM my_table;

+-------+--------+
| first | second |
+-------+--------+
|     1 | one    |
|     2 | two    |
|     3 | three  |
|     4 | four   |
+-------+--------+
(4 rows)

\pset border 0

Border style is 0.

SELECT * FROM my_table;

first second
----- ------
    1 one
    2 two
    3 three
    4 four
(4 rows)

\pset border 1

Border style is 1.

\pset format unaligned

Output format is unaligned.

\pset fieldsep ,

Field separator is ",".

\pset tuples_only

Showing only tuples.

SELECT second, first FROM my_table;

one,1
two,2
three,3
four,4

Alternatively, use the short commands:

\a \t \x

Output format is aligned.
Tuples only is off.
Expanded display is on.

SELECT * FROM my_table;

-[ RECORD 1 ]-
first  | 1
second | one
-[ RECORD 2 ]-
first  | 2
second | two
-[ RECORD 3 ]-
first  | 3
second | three
-[ RECORD 4 ]-
first  | 4
second | four