# createdb createdb — create a newPostgreSQLdatabase ## Synopsis `createdb`\[`connection-option`...] \[`option`...] \[`dbname`\[`description`]] ## Description createdbcreates a newPostgreSQLdatabase. Normally, the database user who executes this command becomes the owner of the new database. However, a different owner can be specified via the`-O`option, if the executing user has appropriate privileges. createdbis a wrapper around theSQLcommand[CREATE DATABASE](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/sql-createdatabase.html). There is no effective difference between creating databases via this utility and via other methods for accessing the server. ## Options createdbaccepts the following command-line arguments: `dbname` Specifies the name of the database to be created. The name must be unique among allPostgreSQLdatabases in this cluster. The default is to create a database with the same name as the current system user. `description` Specifies a comment to be associated with the newly created database. `-D` `tablespace` `--tablespace=` `tablespace` Specifies the default tablespace for the database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.) `-e` `--echo` Echo the commands thatcreatedbgenerates and sends to the server. `-E` `encoding` `--encoding=` `encoding` Specifies the character encoding scheme to be used in this database. The character sets supported by thePostgreSQLserver are described in[Section 23.3.1](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/multibyte.html#multibyte-charset-supported). `-l` `locale` `--locale=` `locale` Specifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying both`--lc-collate`and`--lc-ctype`. `--lc-collate=` `locale` Specifies the LC\_COLLATE setting to be used in this database. `--lc-ctype=` `locale` Specifies the LC\_CTYPE setting to be used in this database. `-O` `owner` `--owner=` `owner` Specifies the database user who will own the new database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.) `-T` `template` `--template=` `template` Specifies the template database from which to build this database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.) `-V` `--version` Print thecreatedbversion and exit. `-?` `--help` Show help aboutcreatedbcommand line arguments, and exit. The options`-D`,`-l`,`-E`,`-O`, and`-T`correspond to options of the underlying SQL command[CREATE DATABASE](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/sql-createdatabase.html); see there for more information about them. createdbalso accepts the following command-line arguments for connection parameters: `-h` `host` `--host=` `host` Specifies the host name of the machine on which the server is running. If the value begins with a slash, it is used as the directory for the Unix domain socket. `-p` `port` `--port=` `port` Specifies the TCP port or the local Unix domain socket file extension on which the server is listening for connections. `-U` `username` `--username=` `username` User name to connect as. `-w` `--no-password` Never issue a password prompt. If the server requires password authentication and a password is not available by other means such as a`.pgpass`file, the connection attempt will fail. This option can be useful in batch jobs and scripts where no user is present to enter a password. `-W` `--password` Forcecreatedbto prompt for a password before connecting to a database. This option is never essential, sincecreatedbwill automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentication. However,createdbwill waste a connection attempt finding out that the server wants a password. In some cases it is worth typing`-W`to avoid the extra connection attempt. `--maintenance-db=` `dbname` Specifies the name of the database to connect to when creating the new database. If not specified, the`postgres`database will be used; if that does not exist (or if it is the name of the new database being created),`template1`will be used. ## Environment `PGDATABASE` If set, the name of the database to create, unless overridden on the command line. `PGHOST` `PGPORT` `PGUSER` Default connection parameters.`PGUSER`also determines the name of the database to create, if it is not specified on the command line or by`PGDATABASE`. This utility, like most otherPostgreSQLutilities, also uses the environment variables supported bylibpq(see[Section 33.14](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/libpq-envars.html)). ## Diagnostics In case of difficulty, see[CREATE DATABASE](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/sql-createdatabase.html)and[psql](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/app-psql.html)for discussions of potential problems and error messages. The database server must be running at the targeted host. Also, any default connection settings and environment variables used by thelibpqfront-end library will apply. ## Examples To create the database`demo`using the default database server: ``` $ createdb demo ``` To create the database`demo`using the server on host`eden`, port 5000, using the`template0`template database, here is the command-line command and the underlying SQL command: ``` $ createdb -p 5000 -h eden -T template0 -e demo CREATE DATABASE demo TEMPLATE template0; ``` ## See Also [dropdb](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/app-dropdb.html) , [CREATE DATABASE](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/10/static/sql-createdatabase.html)