Get table schema in Redshift

Question

Hello I am trying to retrieve the schema of an existing table. I am mysql developer and am trying to work with amazon redshift. How can I export the schema of an existing table. In mysql we can use the show create table command.

SHOW CREATE TABLE tblName;

Ewing

This now works in Redshift as show table {table_name} – Vikki

Answer 1

If you want to get the table structure with create statement, constraints and triggers, you can use pg_dump utility

pg_dump -U user_name -s -t table_name -d db_name
Note: -s used for schema only dump
if you want to take the data only dump , you can use -a switch.

This will output the create syntax with all the constraints. Hope this will help you.

Lecithinase

It looks like for Postgres 7.3+ the -d flag disappeared from pg_dump, and the database is a regular commandline argument. That is: pg_dump -U user_name -s -t table_name db_name. – Refectory

pg_dump will not include any info on sortkeys, distkeys, diststyle, or column encodings though – Salverform

Answer 2

Recently I wrote a python script to clone table schemas between redshift clusters. If you only want the columns and column types of a table, you can do it via:

select column_name,
  case
    when data_type = 'integer' then 'integer'
    when data_type = 'bigint' then 'bigint'
    when data_type = 'smallint' then 'smallint'
    when data_type = 'text' then 'text'
    when data_type = 'date' then 'date'
    when data_type = 'real' then 'real'
    when data_type = 'boolean' then 'boolean'
    when data_type = 'double precision' then 'float8'
    when data_type = 'timestamp without time zone' then 'timestamp'
    when data_type = 'character' then 'char('||character_maximum_length||')'
    when data_type = 'character varying' then 'varchar('||character_maximum_length||')'
    when data_type = 'numeric' then 'numeric('||numeric_precision||','||numeric_scale||')'
    else 'unknown'
  end as data_type,
  is_nullable,
  column_default
 from information_schema.columns
 where table_schema = 'xxx' and table_name = 'xxx' order by ordinal_position
;

But if you need the compression types and distkey/sortkeys, you need to query another table:

select * from pg_table_def where tablename = 'xxx' and schemaname='xxx';

Thermophone

Answer 3

This query will give you the complete schema definition including the Redshift specific attributes distribution type/key, sort key, primary key, and column encodings in the form of a create statement as well as providing an alter table statement that sets the owner to the current owner. The only thing it can't tell you are foreign keys. I'm working on the latter, but there's a current privilege issue in RS that prevents us from querying the right tables. This query could use some tuning, but I haven't had time or the need to work it further.

select pk.pkey, tm.schemaname||'.'||tm.tablename, 'create table '||tm.schemaname||'.'||tm.tablename
||' ('
||cp.coldef
-- primary key
||decode(pk.pkey,null,'',pk.pkey)
-- diststyle and dist key
||decode(d.distkey,null,') diststyle '||dist_style||' ',d.distkey)
--sort key 
|| (select decode(skey,null,'',skey) from  (select 
' sortkey(' ||substr(array_to_string(
                 array( select ','||cast(column_name as varchar(100))  as str from
                       (select column_name from information_schema.columns col where  col.table_schema= tm.schemaname and col.table_name=tm.tablename) c2
                        join 
                        (-- gives sort cols
                          select attrelid as tableid, attname as colname, attsortkeyord as sort_col_order from pg_attribute pa where 
                          pa.attnum > 0  AND NOT pa.attisdropped AND pa.attsortkeyord > 0
                        ) st on tm.tableid=st.tableid and c2.column_name=st.colname   order by sort_col_order
                      )
                ,'')
              ,2,10000) || ')' as skey
))
||';'
-- additional alter table queries here to set owner
|| 'alter table '||tm.schemaname||'.'||tm.tablename||' owner to "'||tm.owner||'";'   
from 
-- t  master table list
(
SELECT substring(n.nspname,1,100) as schemaname, substring(c.relname,1,100) as tablename, c.oid as tableid ,use2.usename as owner, decode(c.reldiststyle,0,'EVEN',1,'KEY',8,'ALL') as dist_style
FROM pg_namespace n, pg_class c,  pg_user use2 
WHERE n.oid = c.relnamespace 
AND nspname NOT IN ('pg_catalog', 'pg_toast', 'information_schema')
AND c.relname <> 'temp_staging_tables_1'
and c.relowner = use2.usesysid
) tm 
-- cp  creates the col params for the create string
join
(select 
substr(str,(charindex('QQQ',str)+3),(charindex('ZZZ',str))-(charindex('QQQ',str)+3)) as tableid
,substr(replace(replace(str,'ZZZ',''),'QQQ'||substr(str,(charindex('QQQ',str)+3),(charindex('ZZZ',str))-(charindex('QQQ',str)+3)),''),2,10000) as coldef
from
( select array_to_string(array(
SELECT  'QQQ'||cast(t.tableid as varchar(10))||'ZZZ'|| ','||column_name||' '|| decode(udt_name,'bpchar','char',udt_name) || decode(character_maximum_length,null,'', '('||cast(character_maximum_length as varchar(9))||')'   )
-- default
|| decode(substr(column_default,2,8),'identity','',null,'',' default '||column_default||' ')
-- nullable
|| decode(is_nullable,'YES',' NULL ','NO',' NOT NULL ') 
-- identity 
|| decode(substr(column_default,2,8),'identity',' identity('||substr(column_default,(charindex('''',column_default)+1), (length(column_default)-charindex('''',reverse(column_default))-charindex('''',column_default)   ) )  ||') ', '')
-- encoding
|| decode(enc,'none','',' encode '||enc)
 as str 
from  
-- ci  all the col info
(
select cast(t.tableid as int), cast(table_schema as varchar(100)), cast(table_name as varchar(100)), cast(column_name as varchar(100)), 
cast(ordinal_position as int), cast(column_default as varchar(100)), cast(is_nullable as varchar(20)) , cast(udt_name as varchar(50))  ,cast(character_maximum_length as int),
 sort_col_order  , decode(d.colname,null,0,1) dist_key , e.enc
from 
(select * from information_schema.columns c where  c.table_schema= t.schemaname and c.table_name=t.tablename) c
left join 
(-- gives sort cols
select attrelid as tableid, attname as colname, attsortkeyord as sort_col_order from pg_attribute a where 
 a.attnum > 0  AND NOT a.attisdropped AND a.attsortkeyord > 0
) s on t.tableid=s.tableid and c.column_name=s.colname
left join 
(-- gives encoding
select attrelid as tableid, attname as colname, format_encoding(a.attencodingtype::integer) AS enc from pg_attribute a where 
 a.attnum > 0  AND NOT a.attisdropped 
) e on t.tableid=e.tableid and c.column_name=e.colname
left join 
-- gives dist col
(select attrelid as tableid, attname as colname from pg_attribute a where
 a.attnum > 0 AND NOT a.attisdropped  AND a.attisdistkey = 't'
) d on t.tableid=d.tableid and c.column_name=d.colname
order by ordinal_position
) ci 
-- for the working array funct
), '') as str
from 
(-- need tableid
 SELECT substring(n.nspname,1,100) as schemaname, substring(c.relname,1,100) as tablename, c.oid as tableid 
 FROM pg_namespace n, pg_class c
 WHERE n.oid = c.relnamespace 
 AND nspname NOT IN ('pg_catalog', 'pg_toast', 'information_schema')
 ) t 
)) cp on tm.tableid=cp.tableid
-- primary key query here
left join 
(select c.oid as tableid, ', primary key '|| substring(pg_get_indexdef(indexrelid),charindex('(',pg_get_indexdef(indexrelid))-1 ,60) as pkey
 from pg_index i , pg_namespace n, pg_class c 
 where i.indisprimary=true 
 and i.indrelid =c.oid
 and n.oid = c.relnamespace
)  pk on tm.tableid=pk.tableid
-- dist key
left join
(  select 
-- close off the col defs after the primary key 
')' ||
' distkey('|| cast(column_name as varchar(100)) ||')'  as distkey, t.tableid
from information_schema.columns c
join 
(-- need tableid
SELECT substring(n.nspname,1,100) as schemaname, substring(c.relname,1,100) as tablename, c.oid as tableid 
FROM pg_namespace n, pg_class c
WHERE n.oid = c.relnamespace 
AND nspname NOT IN ('pg_catalog', 'pg_toast', 'information_schema')
) t on c.table_schema= t.schemaname and c.table_name=t.tablename
join 
-- gives dist col
(select attrelid as tableid, attname as colname from pg_attribute a where
a.attnum > 0 AND NOT a.attisdropped  AND a.attisdistkey = 't'
) d on t.tableid=d.tableid and c.column_name=d.colname

) d on tm.tableid=d.tableid 
where tm.schemaname||'.'||tm.tablename='myschema.mytable'

Ludovico

AWS has released this cool utility, github.com/awslabs/amazon-redshift-utils, for migrating to the correct compression encoding. It contains all the queries AWS uses for describing table structures with the one exception of grants (see #18741834 for that component). – Ludovico

Answer 4

I did not find any complete solutions out there. And wrote a python script:

https://github.com/cxmcc/redshift_show_create_table

It will work like pg_dump, plus dealing with basic redshift features, SORTKEY/DISTKEY/DISTSTYLES etc.

Scarce

Answer 5

For redshift please try

show table <**tablename**> ;

Garald

Answer 6

As show table doesn't work on Redshift:

show table <YOUR_TABLE>;
ERROR: syntax error at or near "<YOUR_TABLE>"

We can use pg_table_def table to get the schema out:

select "column", type, encoding, distkey, sortkey, "notnull" 
from pg_table_def
where tablename = '<YOUR_TABLE>';

NOTE: If the schema is not on the search path, add it to search path using:

set search_path to '$user', 'public', '<YOUR_SCHEMA>';

Trutko

SHOW TABLE <table_name>; now works in Redshift. – Primula

Indeed, SHOW TABLE now works on Redshift. And if your table is an external table, use SHOW EXTERNAL TABLE <table_name. – Macomber

Answer 7

In Postgres, you'd query the catalog.

From with psql use the shorthands to a variety of commands whose list you'll get by using \? (for help). Therefor, either of:

\d yourtable
\d+ yourtable

For use in an app, you'll need to learn the relevant queries involved. It's relatively straightforward by running psql -E (for echo hidden queries) instead of plain psql.

If you need the precise create table statement, see @Anant answer.

Kori

Answer 8

One easy way to do this is to use the utility provided by AWS. All you need to do is to create the view in your database and then query that view to get any table ddl. The advantage to use this view is that it will give you the sortkey and distkey as well which was used in original create table command.

https://github.com/awslabs/amazon-redshift-utils/blob/master/src/AdminViews/v_generate_tbl_ddl.sql

Once the view is created, to get the the ddl of any table. You need to query like this -

select ddl from table where tablename='table_name' and schemaname='schemaname';

Note: Admin schema might not be already there in your cluster. So you can create this view in public schema.

Corolla

Answer 9

Below query will generate the DDL of the table for you:

SELECT ddl
FROM admin.v_generate_tbl_ddl
WHERE schemaname = '<schemaname>'
AND tablename in (
'<tablename>');

Stygian

Answer 10

Are you needing to retrieve it programatically or from the psql prompt?

In psql use : \d+ tablename

Programatically, you can query the ANSI standard INFORMATION_SCHEMA views documented here:

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/information-schema.html

The INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES and INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS views should have what you need.

Indite

Answer 11

You can use admin view provided by AWS Redshift - https://github.com/awslabs/amazon-redshift-utils/blob/master/src/AdminViews/v_generate_tbl_ddl.sql

once you have created the view you can get schema creation script by running:

select * from <db_schema>.v_generate_tbl_ddl where tablename = '<table_name>'

Dhyana

Answer 12

To get the column data and schema of a particular table:

• select * from information_schema.columns where tablename='<<table_name>>'

To get the information of a table metadata fire the below query

• select * from information_schema.tables where schema='<<schema_name>>'

Magistral

Answer 13

In the new "query editor 2", you can right click on a table and select "show definition", this will place the DDL for the table in a query window.

Congener

Answer 14

The below command will work:

mysql > show create table test.users_info;

Redshift/postgress >pg_dump -U root-w --no-password -h 62.36.11.547 -p 5439  -s -t test.users_info ;

Dniester