CREATE DATABASE

Name

CREATE DATABASE — Creates a new database.
   CREATE DATABASE name [WITH LOCATION = 'dbpath']
  

Inputs

name

The name of a database to create.

dbpath

An alternate location can be specified as either an environment variable known to the backend server (e.g. 'PGDATA2') or as an absolute path name (e.g. '/usr/local/pgsql/data'). In either case, the location must be pre-configured by initlocation.

Outputs

CREATEDB

Message returned if the command completes successfully.

WARN: createdb: database "name" already exists.

This occurs if database specified already exists.

ERROR: Unable to create database directory directory

There was a problem with creating the required directory; this operation will need permissions for the postgres user on the specified location.

Description

CREATE DATABASE creates a new PostgreSQL database. The creator becomes the administrator of the new database.

Notes

CREATE DATABASE statement is a PostgreSQL language extension.

Refer to DROP DATABASE statement to remove a database.

Usage

To create a new database:

   CREATE DATABASE lusiadas;
  

To create a new database in ~/private_db:

   $ mkdir private_db
   $ initlocation ~/private_db
   Creating Postgres database system directory /home/olly/private_db/base

   $ chmod a+rx private_db
   $ chmod a+rwx private_db/base
   $ psql 
   Welcome to the POSTGRESQL interactive sql monitor:
     Please read the file COPYRIGHT for copyright terms of POSTGRESQL

      type \? for help on slash commands
      type \q to quit
      type \g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
    You are currently connected to the database: template1

    template1=> create database elsewhere with location = '/home/olly/private_db';
    CREATEDB
  

Bugs

Where an ordinary user cannot change the ownership of files to other users (which is correct from a security point of view), there is no easy way to give the postgres backend access to files in a database at a non-standard location without giving similar access to all users. The situation shown in the usage example makes /home/olly/private_db world-accessible.

If, on the other hand, the user gets the system administrator to give file ownership to the postgres superuser and restrict access, he will then be unable to delete the directory/base directory.

Compatibility

SQL92

There is no CREATE DATABASE statement on SQL92.

The equivalent command in standard SQL is CREATE SCHEMA.