How to pass parameters to a psql script

To use variables in your sql script, use the -v option to set variables on the command line.

Consider this example:

export PGPASSWORD=mysecretpassword
psql -h myserver.oric.no -d db01 -U scott -v schema=scott -v table=mytable -f myquery.sql

The query in myquery.sql can then referance the "schema" and "table" variables, like this:

SELECT
    att.attname AS column_name
FROM
    pg_attribute att
JOIN
    pg_class cls ON cls.oid = att.attrelid
JOIN
    pg_namespace ns ON ns.oid = cls.relnamespace
WHERE
    ns.nspname = :'schema'
    AND cls.relname = :'table'
    AND att.attnotnull
    AND att.attnum > 0
    AND NOT att.attisdropped;

Find out if a constraint in PostgreSQL is defined as deferrable

Logged into the relevant database, find out which FK are deferrable:

SELECT conname, condeferrable, condeferred
FROM pg_constraint
WHERE conrelid in ( 'mytable1'::regclass,'mytable2'::regclass) 
AND contype='f';
           conname            | condeferrable | condeferred
------------------------------+---------------+-------------
 mytable1_id_fkey             | f             | f
 mytable1_id_fkey             | f             | f
 mytable2_id_fkey             | f             | f

If condeferrable = t (true), the constraint is created initially deferrable

If condeferrable = f (false), like in my case, it is not.

Terminate PostgresSQL sessions

-- Terminate all connections from user "sales"
SELECT pg_terminate_backend(pid)
FROM pg_stat_activity
WHERE usename = 'sales';

In my case the result was:

 pg_terminate_backend
----------------------
 t
 t
(2 rows)

Check active sessions in PostgreSQL

The closest equivalent to this oracle query:

SELECT USERNAME, COUNT(*) 
FROM v$session 
WHERE type <> 'BACKGROUND' 
GROUP BY username;

Would be

SELECT datname, usename AS username, COUNT(*)
FROM pg_stat_activity
WHERE backend_type = 'client backend'
GROUP BY datname, usename
ORDER BY datname, usename;

Example output:

 datname  |     username      | count
----------+-------------------+-------
 postgres | postgres          |     1
 postgres | postgres_exporter |     1
 mydb     | myser             |     2
(3 rows)

Convert all contents in a file to lower case using vim

Open your file in vi

vi myfile

Press the escape key to enter interactive mode, then type

:%s/.*/\L&/

Press escape, then save + exit the editor:

:wq

How to set echo in a SQL script executed in psql

Use one of two options 1. in the sql file, add the following directive

\set ECHO queries

2. execute the script using the -e flag

psql -e -f myfile.sql

Syntax for drop/recreate of constraints in PostgreSQL

1. Find the constraints belonging to a specific table:

SELECT conname
FROM pg_constraint
WHERE conrelid = 'mytable'::regclass;
    conname
----------------
 sys_c002733781
 sys_c002733782
(2 rows)

2. Drop them:

ALTER TABLE mytable DROP CONSTRAINT sys_c002733781;
ALTER TABLE
ALTER TABLE mytable DROP CONSTRAINT sys_c002733782;
ALTER TABLE

3. Load your data using your preferred method

4. Recreate the FK constraints but skip validating existing data (only new inserts/updates are checked):

alter table mytable add constraint sys_c002733781 foreign key(job_id) references jobs(id) on delete cascade not valid;
ALTER TABLE

alter table mytable add constraint sys_c002733782 foreign key(task_id) references tasks(id) on delete cascade not valid;
ALTER TABLE

5. Validate constraints:

alter table mytable validate constraint sys_c002733781;
ALTER TABLE
alter table mytable validate constraint sys_c002733782;
ALTER TABLE

Query equivalent to SELECT * FROM USER_OBJECTS in PostgreSQL

SELECT schema_name, object_name, object_type
FROM (
    -- Tables, Views, Indexes, etc.
    SELECT
        n.nspname AS schema_name,
        c.relname AS object_name,
        CASE c.relkind
            WHEN 'r' THEN 'TABLE'
            WHEN 'v' THEN 'VIEW'
            WHEN 'm' THEN 'MATERIALIZED VIEW'
            WHEN 'i' THEN 'INDEX'
            WHEN 'S' THEN 'SEQUENCE'
            WHEN 'f' THEN 'FOREIGN TABLE'
            WHEN 'p' THEN 'PARTITIONED TABLE'
            WHEN 'I' THEN 'PARTITIONED INDEX'
            ELSE c.relkind::text
        END AS object_type
    FROM pg_class c
    JOIN pg_namespace n ON n.oid = c.relnamespace
    WHERE n.nspname = current_schema()

    UNION ALL

    -- Functions
    SELECT
        n.nspname AS schema_name,
        p.proname AS object_name,
        'FUNCTION' AS object_type
    FROM pg_proc p
    JOIN pg_namespace n ON n.oid = p.pronamespace
    WHERE n.nspname = current_schema()
) AS objects
ORDER BY object_type, object_name;

It only shows objects in the current schema (like Oracle USER_OBJECTS).

If you want all objects the user owns (across schemas), replace

WHERE n.nspname = current_schema()

with

WHERE n.nspname NOT IN ('pg_catalog', 'information_schema')