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createdb

createdb — create a new PostgreSQL database

Reading PostgreSQL 18.6.

Description

createdb — create a new PostgreSQL database

Documented executable
createdb
Executable version
18.6
Reference inventory
Client applications
Option definition groups
21

Usage

createdb [ connection-option ...] [ option ...] [ dbname [ description ]]

Documented options

Option and argumentsDescription
-D tablespace --tablespace= tablespaceSpecifies the default tablespace for the database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)
-e --echoEcho the commands that createdb generates and sends to the server.
-E encoding --encoding= encodingSpecifies the character encoding scheme to be used in this database. The character sets supported by the PostgreSQL server are described in Section 23.3.1 .
-l locale --locale= localeSpecifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying --lc-collate , --lc-ctype , and --icu-locale to the same value. Some locales are only valid for ICU and must be set with --icu-locale .
--lc-collate= localeSpecifies the LC_COLLATE setting to be used in this database.
--lc-ctype= localeSpecifies the LC_CTYPE setting to be used in this database.
--builtin-locale= localeSpecifies the locale name when the builtin provider is used. Locale support is described in Section 23.1 .
--icu-locale= localeSpecifies the ICU locale ID to be used in this database, if the ICU locale provider is selected.
--icu-rules= rulesSpecifies additional collation rules to customize the behavior of the default collation of this database. This is supported for ICU only.
--locale-provider={ builtin | libc | icu }Specifies the locale provider for the database's default collation.
-O owner --owner= ownerSpecifies the database user who will own the new database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)
-S strategy --strategy= strategySpecifies the database creation strategy. See CREATE DATABASE STRATEGY for more details.
-T template --template= templateSpecifies the template database from which to build this database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)
-V --versionPrint the createdb version and exit.
-? --helpShow help about createdb command line arguments, and exit.
-h host --host= hostSpecifies 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= portSpecifies the TCP port or the local Unix domain socket file extension on which the server is listening for connections.
-U username --username= usernameUser name to connect as.
-w --no-passwordNever 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 --passwordForce createdb to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.
--maintenance-db= dbnameSpecifies 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. This can be a connection string . If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options.

Environment variables

VariableMeaning
PGDATABASEIf set, the name of the database to create, unless overridden on the command line.
PGHOST PGPORT PGUSERDefault connection parameters. PGUSER also determines the name of the database to create, if it is not specified on the command line or by PGDATABASE .
PG_COLORSpecifies whether to use color in diagnostic messages. Possible values are always , auto and never .

Manual definition

createdb

createdb — create a new PostgreSQL database

Synopsis

createdb [connection-option...] [option...] [dbname [description]]

Description

createdb creates a new PostgreSQL database.

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.

createdb is a wrapper around the SQL command CREATE DATABASE. There is no effective difference between creating databases via this utility and via other methods for accessing the server.

Options

createdb accepts the following command-line arguments:

dbname

Specifies the name of the database to be created. The name must be unique among all PostgreSQL databases 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 that createdb generates 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 the PostgreSQL server are described in Section 23.3.1.

-l locale
--locale=locale

Specifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying --lc-collate, --lc-ctype, and --icu-locale to the same value. Some locales are only valid for ICU and must be set with --icu-locale.

--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.

--builtin-locale=locale

Specifies the locale name when the builtin provider is used. Locale support is described in Section 23.1.

--icu-locale=locale

Specifies the ICU locale ID to be used in this database, if the ICU locale provider is selected.

--icu-rules=rules

Specifies additional collation rules to customize the behavior of the default collation of this database. This is supported for ICU only.

--locale-provider={builtin|libc|icu}

Specifies the locale provider for the database's default collation.

-O owner
--owner=owner

Specifies the database user who will own the new database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)

-S strategy
--strategy=strategy

Specifies the database creation strategy. See CREATE DATABASE STRATEGY for more details.

-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 the createdb version and exit.

-?
--help

Show help about createdb command line arguments, and exit.

The options -D, -l, -E, -O, and -T correspond to options of the underlying SQL command CREATE DATABASE; see there for more information about them.

createdb also 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

Force createdb to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.

This option is never essential, since createdb will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentication. However, createdb will 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. This can be a connection string. If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options.

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.

PG_COLOR

Specifies whether to use color in diagnostic messages. Possible values are always, auto and never.

This utility, like most other PostgreSQL utilities, also uses the environment variables supported by libpq (see Section 32.15).

Diagnostics

In case of difficulty, see CREATE DATABASE and psql 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 the libpq front-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, CREATE DATABASE

Documentation and source

Source build
Version
18.6
Build
https://ftp.postgresql.org/pub/source/v18.6/postgresql-18.6.tar.bz2
Source fingerprint
ee8d1a3612338fd9adf250730cb640fcc5233b5491337cc00a316a44e3a0b9f8

Compare versions

PostgreSQL 15 → 16: changed.

--- PostgreSQL 15
+++ PostgreSQL 16
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
       "signature": "-E encoding --encoding= encoding"
     },
     {
-      "description": "Specifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying both --lc-collate and --lc-ctype .",
+      "description": "Specifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying --lc-collate , --lc-ctype , and --icu-locale to the same value. Some locales are only valid for ICU and must be set with --icu-locale .",
       "names": [
         "-l locale",
         "--locale= locale"
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@
         "--icu-locale= locale"
       ],
       "signature": "--icu-locale= locale"
+    },
+    {
+      "description": "Specifies additional collation rules to customize the behavior of the default collation of this database. This is supported for ICU only.",
+      "names": [
+        "--icu-rules= rules"
+      ],
+      "signature": "--icu-rules= rules"
     },
     {
       "description": "Specifies the locale provider for the database's default collation.",

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Related entries

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