Retrieving Comments from a PostgreSQL DB

Question

I'm running a project on a Postgres database and need to retrieve the comments on columns within the DB to be used as table headings and such. I have seen that there are a couple of built in functions (pg_description and col_description) but i haven't been able to find examples on how to use them and playing around with them has proved pretty futile.

So I was wondering if any has been able to do this before and if so, how?

Answer 1

Ok, so i worked it out to degree...

select col_description(table id, column number)...

ie: select col_description(36698,2);

That worked, but is there an easier way to do this maybe bringing all the comments on all the columns and using the table name instead of the oid???

Answer 2

I just found this here. It will provide you with all kind of metadata on one specific table (type, default value, not null flag, length, comment, foreign key name, primary key name). It seems to work well.

SELECT pg_tables.tablename, pg_attribute.attname AS field, 
    format_type(pg_attribute.atttypid, NULL) AS "type", 
    pg_attribute.atttypmod AS len,
    (SELECT col_description(pg_attribute.attrelid, 
            pg_attribute.attnum)) AS comment, 
    CASE pg_attribute.attnotnull 
        WHEN false THEN 1  ELSE 0  
    END AS "notnull", 
    pg_constraint.conname AS "key", pc2.conname AS ckey, 
    (SELECT pg_attrdef.adsrc FROM pg_attrdef 
        WHERE pg_attrdef.adrelid = pg_class.oid 
        AND pg_attrdef.adnum = pg_attribute.attnum) AS def 
FROM pg_tables, pg_class 
JOIN pg_attribute ON pg_class.oid = pg_attribute.attrelid 
    AND pg_attribute.attnum > 0 
LEFT JOIN pg_constraint ON pg_constraint.contype = 'p'::"char" 
    AND pg_constraint.conrelid = pg_class.oid AND
    (pg_attribute.attnum = ANY (pg_constraint.conkey)) 
LEFT JOIN pg_constraint AS pc2 ON pc2.contype = 'f'::"char" 
    AND pc2.conrelid = pg_class.oid 
    AND (pg_attribute.attnum = ANY (pc2.conkey)) 
WHERE pg_class.relname = pg_tables.tablename  
--    AND pg_tables.tableowner = "current_user"() 
    AND pg_attribute.atttypid <> 0::oid  
    AND tablename='your_table' 
ORDER BY field ASC

Source: http://golden13.blogspot.de/2012/08/how-to-get-some-information-about_7.html

Answer 3

I accessed table comments like this:

select c.relname table_name, pg_catalog.obj_description(c.oid) as comment from pg_catalog.pg_class c where c.relname = 'table_name';

and column comments thusly:

SELECT c.column_name, pgd.description FROM pg_catalog.pg_statio_all_tables as st inner join pg_catalog.pg_description pgd on (pgd.objoid=st.relid) inner join information_schema.columns c on (pgd.objsubid=c.ordinal_position and c.table_schema=st.schemaname and c.table_name=st.relname and c.table_name = 'table_name' and c.table_schema = 'public');

Answer 4

Cool, that works to bring up a single comment, but is there a way to bring up all the comments from all the columns without multiple select statements or a loop?

And how do you launch this with a statement:

If you want to know which queries does psql run when you do \dt+ or \d+ customers, just launche it with -E.

Thanks

Answer 5

Take care with schemas, this code consider them:

SELECT
    cols.column_name,
    (
        SELECT
            pg_catalog.col_description(c.oid, cols.ordinal_position::int)
        FROM
            pg_catalog.pg_class c
        WHERE
            c.oid = (SELECT ('"' || cols.table_name || '"')::regclass::oid)
            AND c.relname = cols.table_name
    ) AS column_comment
FROM
    information_schema.columns cols
WHERE
    cols.table_catalog    = 'your_database'
    AND cols.table_name   = 'your_table'
    AND cols.table_schema = 'your_schema';

References:

• Postgresql Document Table and Column Description Comments on Table and Column

• Determining the OID of a table in Postgres 9.1?

Answer 6

It all works by oid,

mat=> SELECT c.oid FROM pg_catalog.pg_class c WHERE c.relname = 'customers';
  oid  
-------
 23208
(1 row)

Now, I have the oid for that table, so I can ask :

mat=> select pg_catalog.obj_description(23208);
  obj_description  
-------------------
 Customers
(1 row)

Then, I can ask for the description of the fourth column :

mat=> select pg_catalog.col_description(23208,4);
             col_description             
-----------------------------------------
 Customer codes, CHS, FACTPOST, POWER...
(1 row)

If you want to know which queries does psql run when you do \dt+ or \d+ customers, just run it with -E.