pgadmin4/docs/en_US/column_dialog.rst

.. _column_dialog:

**********************
`Column Dialog`:index:
**********************

Use the *Column* dialog to add a column to an existing table or modify a column
definition.

The *Column* dialog organizes the development of a column through the following
dialog tabs: *General*, *Definition*, and *Security*. The *SQL* tab displays the
SQL code generated by dialog selections.

.. image:: images/column_general.png
    :alt: Column dialog general tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *General* tab to identify the column:

* Use the *Name* field to add a descriptive name for the column. The name will
  be displayed in the *pgAdmin* tree control. This field is required.
* Store notes about the column in the *Comment* field.

Click the *Definition* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/column_definition.png
    :alt: Column dialog definition tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *Definition* tab to add parameters for the column. (Fields
are disabled if inapplicable.)

* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Data Type* to select a data type for the
  column. For more information on the data types that are supported by
  PostgreSQL, refer to Chapter 8 of the Postgres core documentation. This field
  is required.
* Use the *Length/Precision* and *Scale* fields to specify the maximum number of
  significant digits in a numeric value, or the maximum number of characters in
  a text value.
* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Collation* to apply a collation setting to
  the column.
* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Compression* to set the compression method
  for the column. Compression is supported only for variable-width data types,
  and is used only when the column's storage mode is main or extended. This
  option is available from v14 and above.
* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Storage* to set the storage mode for the
  column. This option is available from v16 and above.

Click the *Constraints* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/column_constraints.png
    :alt: Column dialog constraints tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *Constraints* tab to specify constraints for the column.
(Fields are disabled if inapplicable.)

* Use the *Default Value* field to specify a default data value.
* Move the *Not Null* switch to the *Yes* position to specify the column may not
  contain null values. The default is *No*.
* Use the *Type* field to specify the column type (NONE/IDENTITY/GENERATED).
  The default is *NONE*.

Click the *IDENTITY* type to create Identity column.

.. image:: images/column_constraint_identity.png
    :alt: Column dialog constraints tab
    :align: center

Use the following fields to create *IDENTITY* column. Identity columns are
applicable for PG/EPAS version 10 and above.

* Use the *Identity* field to specify ALWAYS or BY DEFAULT. This clause is
  used to determine how the sequence value is given precedence over a
  user-specified value in an INSERT statement.
* Use the *Increment* field to specify which value is added to the current
  sequence value to create a new value.
* Provide a value in the *Start* field to specify the beginning value of the
  sequence. The default starting value is MINVALUE for ascending sequences and
  MAXVALUE for descending ones.
* Provide a value in the *Minimum* field to specify the minimum value a sequence
  can generate. If this clause is not supplied or NO MINVALUE is specified,
  then defaults will be used. The defaults are 1 and -263-1 for ascending and
  descending sequences, respectively.
* Provide a value in the *Maximum* field to specify the maximum value for the
  sequence. If this clause is not supplied or NO MAXVALUE is specified, then
  default values will be used. The defaults are 263-1 and -1 for ascending and
  descending sequences, respectively.
* Provide a value in the *Cache* field to specify how many sequence numbers are
  to be preallocated and stored in memory for faster access. The minimum value
  is 1 (only one value can be generated at a time, i.e., no cache), and this is
  also the default.
* Move the *Cycled* switch to the *Yes* position to allow the sequence to wrap
  around when the MAXVALUE or the MINVALUE has been reached by an ascending or
  descending sequence respectively. If the limit is reached, the next number
  generated will be the MINVALUE or MAXVALUE, respectively. The default is *No*.

Click the *GENERATED* type to create Generated column.

.. image:: images/column_constraint_generated.png
    :alt: Column dialog constraints tab
    :align: center

Use the following fields to create *GENERATED* column. Generated columns are
applicable for PG/EPAS version 12 and above.

* Use the *Expression* field to specify the generation expression. It can
  refer to other columns in the table, but not other generated columns.
  Any functions and operators used must be immutable. References to other
  tables are not allowed.

Click the *Variables* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/column_variables.png
    :alt: Column dialog variables tab
    :align: center

Use the *Variables* tab to specify the number of distinct values that may be
present in the column; this value overrides estimates made by the ANALYZE
command. Click the *Add* icon (+) to add a *Name*/*Value* pair:

* Select the name of the variable from the drop-down listbox in the *Name* field.

    * Select *n_distinct* to specify the number of distinct values for the column.
    * Select *n_distinct_inherited* to specify the number of distinct values
      for the table and its children.

* Specify the number of distinct values in the *Value* field. For more
  information, see the documentation for
  `ALTER TABLE  <https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-altertable.html>`_.

Click the *Add* icon (+) to specify each additional *Name*/*Value* pair; to
discard a variable, click the trash icon to the left of the row and confirm
deletion in the *Delete Row* popup.

Click the *Security* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/column_security.png
    :alt: Column dialog security tab
    :align: center

Use the *Security* tab to assign attributes and define security labels. Click
the *Add* icon (+) to add each security label selection:

* Specify a security label provider in the *Provider* field. The named provider
  must be loaded and must consent to the proposed labeling operation.
* Specify a a security label in the *Security Label* field. The meaning of a
  given label is at the discretion of the label provider. PostgreSQL places no
  restrictions on whether or how a label provider must interpret security
  labels; it merely provides a mechanism for storing them.

Click the *Add* icon (+) to assign additional security labels; to discard a
security label, click the trash icon to the left of the row and confirm deletion
in the *Delete Row* popup.

Click the *SQL* tab to continue.

Your entries in the *Column* dialog generate a SQL command (see an example
below). Use the *SQL* tab for review; revisit or switch tabs to make any changes
to the SQL command.

Example
*******

The following is an example of the sql command generated by user selections in
the *Column* dialog:

.. image:: images/column_sql.png
    :alt: Column dialog sql tab
    :align: center

The example shown demonstrates creating a column named *sal* in the table
named *jobhist*.

* Click the *Info* button (i) to access online help.
* Click the *Save* button to save work.
* Click the *Close* button to exit without saving work.
* Click the *Reset* button to restore configuration parameters.