createdb — create a newPostgreSQLdatabase
createdb[connection-option...] [option...] [dbname[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-Ooption, if the executing user has appropriate privileges.
createdbis a wrapper around theSQLcommandCREATE DATABASE. There is no effective difference between creating databases via this utility and via other methods for accessing the server.
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 inSection 23.3.1.
-l
locale
--locale=
locale
Specifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying both--lc-collateand--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-Tcorrespond to options of the underlying SQL commandCREATE DATABASE; 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.pgpassfile, 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-Wto 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, thepostgresdatabase will be used; if that does not exist (or if it is the name of the new database being created),template1will be used.
PGDATABASE
If set, the name of the database to create, unless overridden on the command line.
PGHOST
PGPORT
PGUSER
Default connection parameters.PGUSERalso determines the name of the database to create, if it is not specified on the command line or byPGDATABASE.
This utility, like most otherPostgreSQLutilities, also uses the environment variables supported bylibpq(seeSection 33.14).
In case of difficulty, seeCREATE DATABASEandpsqlfor 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.
To create the databasedemousing the default database server:
To create the databasedemousing the server on hosteden, port 5000, using thetemplate0template database, here is the command-line command and the underlying SQL command:
,