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diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/html/ddl-schemas.html b/doc/src/sgml/html/ddl-schemas.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4ba6dc6 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/src/sgml/html/ddl-schemas.html @@ -0,0 +1,329 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?> +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><title>5.9. Schemas</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" /><link rev="made" href="pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org" /><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets Vsnapshot" /><link rel="prev" href="ddl-rowsecurity.html" title="5.8. Row Security Policies" /><link rel="next" href="ddl-inherit.html" title="5.10. Inheritance" /></head><body id="docContent" class="container-fluid col-10"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="5" align="center">5.9. Schemas</th></tr><tr><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="ddl-rowsecurity.html" title="5.8. Row Security Policies">Prev</a> </td><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="u" href="ddl.html" title="Chapter 5. Data Definition">Up</a></td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 5. Data Definition</th><td width="10%" align="right"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 15.4 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="10%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="ddl-inherit.html" title="5.10. Inheritance">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr /></div><div class="sect1" id="DDL-SCHEMAS"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">5.9. Schemas</h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><dl class="toc"><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-CREATE">5.9.1. Creating a Schema</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PUBLIC">5.9.2. The Public Schema</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PATH">5.9.3. The Schema Search Path</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PRIV">5.9.4. Schemas and Privileges</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-CATALOG">5.9.5. The System Catalog Schema</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PATTERNS">5.9.6. Usage Patterns</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect2"><a href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PORTABILITY">5.9.7. Portability</a></span></dt></dl></div><a id="id-1.5.4.11.2" class="indexterm"></a><p> + A <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> database cluster contains + one or more named databases. Roles and a few other object types are + shared across the entire cluster. A client connection to the server + can only access data in a single database, the one specified in the + connection request. + </p><div class="note"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p> + Users of a cluster do not necessarily have the privilege to access every + database in the cluster. Sharing of role names means that there + cannot be different roles named, say, <code class="literal">joe</code> in two databases + in the same cluster; but the system can be configured to allow + <code class="literal">joe</code> access to only some of the databases. + </p></div><p> + A database contains one or more named <em class="firstterm">schemas</em>, which + in turn contain tables. Schemas also contain other kinds of named + objects, including data types, functions, and operators. The same + object name can be used in different schemas without conflict; for + example, both <code class="literal">schema1</code> and <code class="literal">myschema</code> can + contain tables named <code class="literal">mytable</code>. Unlike databases, + schemas are not rigidly separated: a user can access objects in any + of the schemas in the database they are connected to, if they have + privileges to do so. + </p><p> + There are several reasons why one might want to use schemas: + + </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p> + To allow many users to use one database without interfering with + each other. + </p></li><li class="listitem"><p> + To organize database objects into logical groups to make them + more manageable. + </p></li><li class="listitem"><p> + Third-party applications can be put into separate schemas so + they do not collide with the names of other objects. + </p></li></ul></div><p> + + Schemas are analogous to directories at the operating system level, + except that schemas cannot be nested. + </p><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-CREATE"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.1. Creating a Schema</h3></div></div></div><a id="id-1.5.4.11.7.2" class="indexterm"></a><p> + To create a schema, use the <a class="xref" href="sql-createschema.html" title="CREATE SCHEMA"><span class="refentrytitle">CREATE SCHEMA</span></a> + command. Give the schema a name + of your choice. For example: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +CREATE SCHEMA myschema; +</pre><p> + </p><a id="id-1.5.4.11.7.4" class="indexterm"></a><a id="id-1.5.4.11.7.5" class="indexterm"></a><p> + To create or access objects in a schema, write a + <em class="firstterm">qualified name</em> consisting of the schema name and + table name separated by a dot: +</p><pre class="synopsis"> +<em class="replaceable"><code>schema</code></em><code class="literal">.</code><em class="replaceable"><code>table</code></em> +</pre><p> + This works anywhere a table name is expected, including the table + modification commands and the data access commands discussed in + the following chapters. + (For brevity we will speak of tables only, but the same ideas apply + to other kinds of named objects, such as types and functions.) + </p><p> + Actually, the even more general syntax +</p><pre class="synopsis"> +<em class="replaceable"><code>database</code></em><code class="literal">.</code><em class="replaceable"><code>schema</code></em><code class="literal">.</code><em class="replaceable"><code>table</code></em> +</pre><p> + can be used too, but at present this is just for pro forma + compliance with the SQL standard. If you write a database name, + it must be the same as the database you are connected to. + </p><p> + So to create a table in the new schema, use: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +CREATE TABLE myschema.mytable ( + ... +); +</pre><p> + </p><a id="id-1.5.4.11.7.9" class="indexterm"></a><p> + To drop a schema if it's empty (all objects in it have been + dropped), use: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +DROP SCHEMA myschema; +</pre><p> + To drop a schema including all contained objects, use: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +DROP SCHEMA myschema CASCADE; +</pre><p> + See <a class="xref" href="ddl-depend.html" title="5.14. Dependency Tracking">Section 5.14</a> for a description of the general + mechanism behind this. + </p><p> + Often you will want to create a schema owned by someone else + (since this is one of the ways to restrict the activities of your + users to well-defined namespaces). The syntax for that is: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +CREATE SCHEMA <em class="replaceable"><code>schema_name</code></em> AUTHORIZATION <em class="replaceable"><code>user_name</code></em>; +</pre><p> + You can even omit the schema name, in which case the schema name + will be the same as the user name. See <a class="xref" href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PATTERNS" title="5.9.6. Usage Patterns">Section 5.9.6</a> for how this can be useful. + </p><p> + Schema names beginning with <code class="literal">pg_</code> are reserved for + system purposes and cannot be created by users. + </p></div><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-PUBLIC"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.2. The Public Schema</h3></div></div></div><a id="id-1.5.4.11.8.2" class="indexterm"></a><p> + In the previous sections we created tables without specifying any + schema names. By default such tables (and other objects) are + automatically put into a schema named <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">public</span>”</span>. Every new + database contains such a schema. Thus, the following are equivalent: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +CREATE TABLE products ( ... ); +</pre><p> + and: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +CREATE TABLE public.products ( ... ); +</pre><p> + </p></div><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-PATH"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.3. The Schema Search Path</h3></div></div></div><a id="id-1.5.4.11.9.2" class="indexterm"></a><a id="id-1.5.4.11.9.3" class="indexterm"></a><a id="id-1.5.4.11.9.4" class="indexterm"></a><p> + Qualified names are tedious to write, and it's often best not to + wire a particular schema name into applications anyway. Therefore + tables are often referred to by <em class="firstterm">unqualified names</em>, + which consist of just the table name. The system determines which table + is meant by following a <em class="firstterm">search path</em>, which is a list + of schemas to look in. The first matching table in the search path + is taken to be the one wanted. If there is no match in the search + path, an error is reported, even if matching table names exist + in other schemas in the database. + </p><p> + The ability to create like-named objects in different schemas complicates + writing a query that references precisely the same objects every time. It + also opens up the potential for users to change the behavior of other + users' queries, maliciously or accidentally. Due to the prevalence of + unqualified names in queries and their use + in <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> internals, adding a schema + to <code class="varname">search_path</code> effectively trusts all users having + <code class="literal">CREATE</code> privilege on that schema. When you run an + ordinary query, a malicious user able to create objects in a schema of + your search path can take control and execute arbitrary SQL functions as + though you executed them. + </p><a id="id-1.5.4.11.9.7" class="indexterm"></a><p> + The first schema named in the search path is called the current schema. + Aside from being the first schema searched, it is also the schema in + which new tables will be created if the <code class="command">CREATE TABLE</code> + command does not specify a schema name. + </p><a id="id-1.5.4.11.9.9" class="indexterm"></a><p> + To show the current search path, use the following command: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +SHOW search_path; +</pre><p> + In the default setup this returns: +</p><pre class="screen"> + search_path +-------------- + "$user", public +</pre><p> + The first element specifies that a schema with the same name as + the current user is to be searched. If no such schema exists, + the entry is ignored. The second element refers to the + public schema that we have seen already. + </p><p> + The first schema in the search path that exists is the default + location for creating new objects. That is the reason that by + default objects are created in the public schema. When objects + are referenced in any other context without schema qualification + (table modification, data modification, or query commands) the + search path is traversed until a matching object is found. + Therefore, in the default configuration, any unqualified access + again can only refer to the public schema. + </p><p> + To put our new schema in the path, we use: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +SET search_path TO myschema,public; +</pre><p> + (We omit the <code class="literal">$user</code> here because we have no + immediate need for it.) And then we can access the table without + schema qualification: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +DROP TABLE mytable; +</pre><p> + Also, since <code class="literal">myschema</code> is the first element in + the path, new objects would by default be created in it. + </p><p> + We could also have written: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +SET search_path TO myschema; +</pre><p> + Then we no longer have access to the public schema without + explicit qualification. There is nothing special about the public + schema except that it exists by default. It can be dropped, too. + </p><p> + See also <a class="xref" href="functions-info.html" title="9.26. System Information Functions and Operators">Section 9.26</a> for other ways to manipulate + the schema search path. + </p><p> + The search path works in the same way for data type names, function names, + and operator names as it does for table names. Data type and function + names can be qualified in exactly the same way as table names. If you + need to write a qualified operator name in an expression, there is a + special provision: you must write +</p><pre class="synopsis"> +<code class="literal">OPERATOR(</code><em class="replaceable"><code>schema</code></em><code class="literal">.</code><em class="replaceable"><code>operator</code></em><code class="literal">)</code> +</pre><p> + This is needed to avoid syntactic ambiguity. An example is: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +SELECT 3 OPERATOR(pg_catalog.+) 4; +</pre><p> + In practice one usually relies on the search path for operators, + so as not to have to write anything so ugly as that. + </p></div><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-PRIV"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.4. Schemas and Privileges</h3></div></div></div><a id="id-1.5.4.11.10.2" class="indexterm"></a><p> + By default, users cannot access any objects in schemas they do not + own. To allow that, the owner of the schema must grant the + <code class="literal">USAGE</code> privilege on the schema. By default, everyone + has that privilege on the schema <code class="literal">public</code>. To allow + users to make use of the objects in a schema, additional privileges might + need to be granted, as appropriate for the object. + </p><p> + A user can also be allowed to create objects in someone else's schema. To + allow that, the <code class="literal">CREATE</code> privilege on the schema needs to + be granted. In databases upgraded from + <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> 14 or earlier, everyone has that + privilege on the schema <code class="literal">public</code>. + Some <a class="link" href="ddl-schemas.html#DDL-SCHEMAS-PATTERNS" title="5.9.6. Usage Patterns">usage patterns</a> call for + revoking that privilege: +</p><pre class="programlisting"> +REVOKE CREATE ON SCHEMA public FROM PUBLIC; +</pre><p> + (The first <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">public</span>”</span> is the schema, the second + <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">public</span>”</span> means <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">every user</span>”</span>. In the + first sense it is an identifier, in the second sense it is a + key word, hence the different capitalization; recall the + guidelines from <a class="xref" href="sql-syntax-lexical.html#SQL-SYNTAX-IDENTIFIERS" title="4.1.1. Identifiers and Key Words">Section 4.1.1</a>.) + </p></div><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-CATALOG"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.5. The System Catalog Schema</h3></div></div></div><a id="id-1.5.4.11.11.2" class="indexterm"></a><p> + In addition to <code class="literal">public</code> and user-created schemas, each + database contains a <code class="literal">pg_catalog</code> schema, which contains + the system tables and all the built-in data types, functions, and + operators. <code class="literal">pg_catalog</code> is always effectively part of + the search path. If it is not named explicitly in the path then + it is implicitly searched <span class="emphasis"><em>before</em></span> searching the path's + schemas. This ensures that built-in names will always be + findable. However, you can explicitly place + <code class="literal">pg_catalog</code> at the end of your search path if you + prefer to have user-defined names override built-in names. + </p><p> + Since system table names begin with <code class="literal">pg_</code>, it is best to + avoid such names to ensure that you won't suffer a conflict if some + future version defines a system table named the same as your + table. (With the default search path, an unqualified reference to + your table name would then be resolved as the system table instead.) + System tables will continue to follow the convention of having + names beginning with <code class="literal">pg_</code>, so that they will not + conflict with unqualified user-table names so long as users avoid + the <code class="literal">pg_</code> prefix. + </p></div><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-PATTERNS"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.6. Usage Patterns</h3></div></div></div><p> + Schemas can be used to organize your data in many ways. + A <em class="firstterm">secure schema usage pattern</em> prevents untrusted + users from changing the behavior of other users' queries. When a database + does not use a secure schema usage pattern, users wishing to securely + query that database would take protective action at the beginning of each + session. Specifically, they would begin each session by + setting <code class="varname">search_path</code> to the empty string or otherwise + removing schemas that are writable by non-superusers + from <code class="varname">search_path</code>. There are a few usage patterns + easily supported by the default configuration: + </p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem"><p> + Constrain ordinary users to user-private schemas. + To implement this pattern, first ensure that no schemas have + public <code class="literal">CREATE</code> privileges. Then, for every user + needing to create non-temporary objects, create a schema with the + same name as that user, for example + <code class="literal">CREATE SCHEMA alice AUTHORIZATION alice</code>. + (Recall that the default search path starts + with <code class="literal">$user</code>, which resolves to the user + name. Therefore, if each user has a separate schema, they access + their own schemas by default.) This pattern is a secure schema + usage pattern unless an untrusted user is the database owner or + holds the <code class="literal">CREATEROLE</code> privilege, in which case no + secure schema usage pattern exists. + </p><p> + In <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> 15 and later, the default + configuration supports this usage pattern. In prior versions, or + when using a database that has been upgraded from a prior version, + you will need to remove the public <code class="literal">CREATE</code> + privilege from the <code class="literal">public</code> schema (issue + <code class="literal">REVOKE CREATE ON SCHEMA public FROM PUBLIC</code>). + Then consider auditing the <code class="literal">public</code> schema for + objects named like objects in schema <code class="literal">pg_catalog</code>. + </p></li><li class="listitem"><p> + Remove the public schema from the default search path, by modifying + <a class="link" href="config-setting.html#CONFIG-SETTING-CONFIGURATION-FILE" title="20.1.2. Parameter Interaction via the Configuration File"><code class="filename">postgresql.conf</code></a> + or by issuing <code class="literal">ALTER ROLE ALL SET search_path = + "$user"</code>. Then, grant privileges to create in the public + schema. Only qualified names will choose public schema objects. While + qualified table references are fine, calls to functions in the public + schema <a class="link" href="typeconv-func.html" title="10.3. Functions">will be unsafe or + unreliable</a>. If you create functions or extensions in the public + schema, use the first pattern instead. Otherwise, like the first + pattern, this is secure unless an untrusted user is the database owner + or holds the <code class="literal">CREATEROLE</code> privilege. + </p></li><li class="listitem"><p> + Keep the default search path, and grant privileges to create in the + public schema. All users access the public schema implicitly. This + simulates the situation where schemas are not available at all, giving + a smooth transition from the non-schema-aware world. However, this is + never a secure pattern. It is acceptable only when the database has a + single user or a few mutually-trusting users. In databases upgraded + from <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> 14 or earlier, this is the + default. + </p></li></ul></div><p> + </p><p> + For any pattern, to install shared applications (tables to be used by + everyone, additional functions provided by third parties, etc.), put them + into separate schemas. Remember to grant appropriate privileges to allow + the other users to access them. Users can then refer to these additional + objects by qualifying the names with a schema name, or they can put the + additional schemas into their search path, as they choose. + </p></div><div class="sect2" id="DDL-SCHEMAS-PORTABILITY"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">5.9.7. Portability</h3></div></div></div><p> + In the SQL standard, the notion of objects in the same schema + being owned by different users does not exist. Moreover, some + implementations do not allow you to create schemas that have a + different name than their owner. In fact, the concepts of schema + and user are nearly equivalent in a database system that + implements only the basic schema support specified in the + standard. Therefore, many users consider qualified names to + really consist of + <code class="literal"><em class="replaceable"><code>user_name</code></em>.<em class="replaceable"><code>table_name</code></em></code>. + This is how <span class="productname">PostgreSQL</span> will effectively + behave if you create a per-user schema for every user. + </p><p> + Also, there is no concept of a <code class="literal">public</code> schema in the + SQL standard. For maximum conformance to the standard, you should + not use the <code class="literal">public</code> schema. + </p><p> + Of course, some SQL database systems might not implement schemas + at all, or provide namespace support by allowing (possibly + limited) cross-database access. If you need to work with those + systems, then maximum portability would be achieved by not using + schemas at all. + </p></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr /><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="ddl-rowsecurity.html" title="5.8. Row Security Policies">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="ddl.html" title="Chapter 5. Data Definition">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="ddl-inherit.html" title="5.10. Inheritance">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">5.8. Row Security Policies </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 15.4 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> 5.10. Inheritance</td></tr></table></div></body></html>
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