PostgreSQL 8.4.7 Documentation
Prev | Fast Backward | Chapter 44. System Catalogs | Fast Forward | Next

# 44.11. `pg_class`

The catalog `pg_class` catalogs tables and most everything else that has columns or is otherwise similar to a table. This includes indexes (but see also `pg_index`), sequences, views, composite types, and TOAST tables; see `relkind`. Below, when we mean all of these kinds of objects we speak of "relations". Not all columns are meaningful for all relation types.

Table 44-11. `pg_class` Columns

Name | Type | References | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
`relname` | `name` |  | Name of the table, index, view, etc.
`relnamespace` | `oid` | ``pg_namespace`.oid` | The OID of the namespace that contains this relation
`reltype` | `oid` | ``pg_type`.oid` | The OID of the data type that corresponds to this table's row type, if any (zero for indexes, which have no `pg_type` entry)
`relowner` | `oid` | ``pg_authid`.oid` | Owner of the relation
`relam` | `oid` | ``pg_am`.oid` | If this is an index, the access method used (B-tree, hash, etc.)
`relfilenode` | `oid` |  | Name of the on-disk file of this relation; 0 if none
`reltablespace` | `oid` | ``pg_tablespace`.oid` | The tablespace in which this relation is stored. If zero, the database's default tablespace is implied. (Not meaningful if the relation has no on-disk file.)
`relpages` | `int4` |  | Size of the on-disk representation of this table in pages (of size `BLCKSZ`). This is only an estimate used by the planner. It is updated by `VACUUM`, `ANALYZE`, and a few DDL commands such as `CREATE INDEX`
`reltuples` | `float4` |  | Number of rows in the table. This is only an estimate used by the planner. It is updated by `VACUUM`, `ANALYZE`, and a few DDL commands such as `CREATE INDEX`
`reltoastrelid` | `oid` | ``pg_class`.oid` | OID of the TOAST table associated with this table, 0 if none. The TOAST table stores large attributes "out of line" in a secondary table
`reltoastidxid` | `oid` | ``pg_class`.oid` | For a TOAST table, the OID of its index. 0 if not a TOAST table
`relhasindex` | `bool` |  | True if this is a table and it has (or recently had) any indexes. This is set by `CREATE INDEX`, but not cleared immediately by `DROP INDEX`. `VACUUM` clears `relhasindex` if it finds the table has no indexes
`relisshared` | `bool` |  | True if this table is shared across all databases in the cluster. Only certain system catalogs (such as `pg_database`) are shared
`relistemp` | `bool` |  | True if this table is a temporary relation. If so, only the creating session can safely access its contents
`relkind` | `char` |  | `r` = ordinary table, `i` = index, `S` = sequence, `v` = view, `c` = composite type, `t` = TOAST table
`relnatts` | `int2` |  | Number of user columns in the relation (system columns not counted). There must be this many corresponding entries in `pg_attribute`. See also `pg_attribute.attnum`
`relchecks` | `int2` |  | Number of `CHECK` constraints on the table; see `pg_constraint` catalog
`relhasoids` | `bool` |  | True if we generate an OID for each row of the relation
`relhaspkey` | `bool` |  | True if the table has (or once had) a primary key
`relhasrules` | `bool` |  | True if table has (or once had) rules; see `pg_rewrite` catalog
`relhastriggers` | `bool` |  | True if table has (or once had) triggers; see `pg_trigger` catalog
`relhassubclass` | `bool` |  | True if table has (or once had) any inheritance children
`relfrozenxid` | `xid` |  | All transaction IDs before this one have been replaced with a permanent ("frozen") transaction ID in this table. This is used to track whether the table needs to be vacuumed in order to prevent transaction ID wraparound or to allow `pg_clog` to be shrunk. Zero (`InvalidTransactionId`) if the relation is not a table
`relacl` | `aclitem[]` |  | Access privileges; see GRANT and REVOKE for details
`reloptions` | `text[]` |  | Access-method-specific options, as "keyword=value" strings

Prev | Home | Next
`pg_cast` | Up | `pg_constraint`