Create a foreign table pointing to a view in Postgres

Question

Is it possible to create a foreign table, using Postgres Foreign Data Wrapper, that points to a view instead of a table?

Balfore

Answer 1

Yes, it is possible!

The following query worked perfectly:

CREATE FOREIGN TABLE facts(name character varying(255))
SERVER my_server 
OPTIONS (table_name 'facts');

Where facts is a view in my_server instead of a table.

Balfore

AFAIK you don't have to specify the table_name option if it is the same as the foreign table's name. – Tessellated

You don't have to specify the table definition either if you use IMPORT FOREIGN SCHEMA, but you do have to explicitly include the view in the LIMIT TO clause. – Giff

Answer 2

Recently I had to do the same thing and here are the steps that worked for me. All these commands are run on the local postgreSQL DB.

CREATE EXTENSION postgres_fdw;
CREATE SERVER remote_server_name
  FOREIGN DATA WRAPPER postgres_fdw
  OPTIONS (host '10.10.10.10', port '5432', dbname 'remote_db_name');

CREATE USER MAPPING FOR local_user_name
  SERVER remote_server_name
  OPTIONS (user 'remote_user', password 'remote_password');

CREATE FOREIGN TABLE local_table_name (
  id NUMERIC NOT NULL,
  row TEXT,
  another_row INTEGER,
  whatever_row TEXT
)
  SERVER remote_server_name
  OPTIONS (schema_name 'public', table_name 'remote_table_name');

Upbow

Answer 3

I have the same question. In pgadmin4 for postgresql-11, if use GUI Command: Create -> Foreign Table... on table, it works; but on view, it does't works, you will get a empty table.

for view, i use this code, it works:

IMPORT FOREIGN SCHEMA remote_schema_name
LIMIT TO (remote_view_name)
FROM SERVER remote_host_map_name INTO local_shema_name;

The reason is, for table, pgadmin4 can create columns same as remote table in constract SQL statement, but for view, it create no columns in constract SQL statement.

Cobblestone