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reindexdb

reindexdb — reindex a PostgreSQL database

Reading PostgreSQL 18.6.

Description

reindexdb — reindex a PostgreSQL database

Documented executable
reindexdb
Executable version
18.6
Reference inventory
Client applications
Option definition groups
19

Usage

reindexdb [ connection-option ...] [ option ...] [ -S | --schema schema ] ... [ -t | --table table ] ... [ -i | --index index ] ... [ -s | --system ] [ dbname | -a | --all ]

Documented options

Option and argumentsDescription
-a --allReindex all databases.
--concurrentlyUse the CONCURRENTLY option. See REINDEX , where all the caveats of this option are explained in detail.
-e --echoEcho the commands that reindexdb generates and sends to the server.
-i index --index= indexRecreate index only. Multiple indexes can be recreated by writing multiple -i switches.
-j njobs --jobs= njobsExecute the reindex commands in parallel by running njobs commands simultaneously. This option may reduce the processing time but it also increases the load on the database server.
-q --quietDo not display progress messages.
-s --systemReindex database's system catalogs only.
-S schema --schema= schemaReindex schema only. Multiple schemas can be reindexed by writing multiple -S switches.
-t table --table= tableReindex table only. Multiple tables can be reindexed by writing multiple -t switches.
--tablespace= tablespaceSpecifies the tablespace where indexes are rebuilt. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)
-v --verbosePrint detailed information during processing.
-V --versionPrint the reindexdb version and exit.
-? --helpShow help about reindexdb 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 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 reindexdb to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.
--maintenance-db= dbnameWhen the -a / --all is used, connect to this database to gather the list of databases to reindex. If not specified, the postgres database will be used, or if that does not exist, template1 will be used. This can be a connection string . If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options. Also, connection string parameters other than the database name itself will be re-used when connecting to other databases.

Environment variables

VariableMeaning
PGDATABASE PGHOST PGPORT PGUSERDefault connection parameters
PG_COLORSpecifies whether to use color in diagnostic messages. Possible values are always , auto and never .

Manual definition

reindexdb

reindexdb — reindex a PostgreSQL database

Synopsis

reindexdb [connection-option...] [option...] [ -S | --schema schema ] ... [ -t | --table table ] ... [ -i | --index index ] ... [ -s | --system ] [ dbname | -a | --all ]

Description

reindexdb is a utility for rebuilding indexes in a PostgreSQL database.

reindexdb is a wrapper around the SQL command REINDEX. There is no effective difference between reindexing databases via this utility and via other methods for accessing the server.

Options

reindexdb accepts the following command-line arguments:

-a
--all

Reindex all databases.

--concurrently

Use the CONCURRENTLY option. See REINDEX, where all the caveats of this option are explained in detail.

[-d] dbname
[--dbname=]dbname

Specifies the name of the database to be reindexed, when -a/--all is not used. If this is not specified, the database name is read from the environment variable PGDATABASE. If that is not set, the user name specified for the connection is used. The dbname can be a connection string. If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options.

-e
--echo

Echo the commands that reindexdb generates and sends to the server.

-i index
--index=index

Recreate index only. Multiple indexes can be recreated by writing multiple -i switches.

-j njobs
--jobs=njobs

Execute the reindex commands in parallel by running njobs commands simultaneously. This option may reduce the processing time but it also increases the load on the database server.

reindexdb will open njobs connections to the database, so make sure your max_connections setting is high enough to accommodate all connections.

Note that this option is incompatible with the --system option.

-q
--quiet

Do not display progress messages.

-s
--system

Reindex database's system catalogs only.

-S schema
--schema=schema

Reindex schema only. Multiple schemas can be reindexed by writing multiple -S switches.

-t table
--table=table

Reindex table only. Multiple tables can be reindexed by writing multiple -t switches.

--tablespace=tablespace

Specifies the tablespace where indexes are rebuilt. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)

-v
--verbose

Print detailed information during processing.

-V
--version

Print the reindexdb version and exit.

-?
--help

Show help about reindexdb command line arguments, and exit.

reindexdb 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 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 reindexdb to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.

This option is never essential, since reindexdb will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentication. However, reindexdb 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

When the -a/--all is used, connect to this database to gather the list of databases to reindex. If not specified, the postgres database will be used, or if that does not exist, template1 will be used. This can be a connection string. If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options. Also, connection string parameters other than the database name itself will be re-used when connecting to other databases.

Environment

PGDATABASE
PGHOST
PGPORT
PGUSER

Default connection parameters

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 REINDEX 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 reindex the database test:

$ reindexdb test

To reindex the table foo and the index bar in a database named abcd:

$ reindexdb --table=foo --index=bar abcd

See Also

REINDEX

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 16 → 17: changed.

--- PostgreSQL 16
+++ PostgreSQL 17
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
       "signature": "-i index --index= index"
     },
     {
-      "description": "Execute the reindex commands in parallel by running njobs commands simultaneously. This option may reduce the processing time but it also increases the load on the database server. reindexdb will open njobs connections to the database, so make sure your max_connections setting is high enough to accommodate all connections. Note that this option is incompatible with the --index and --system options.",
+      "description": "Execute the reindex commands in parallel by running njobs commands simultaneously. This option may reduce the processing time but it also increases the load on the database server. reindexdb will open njobs connections to the database, so make sure your max_connections setting is high enough to accommodate all connections. Note that this option is incompatible with the --system option.",
       "names": [
         "-j njobs",
         "--jobs= njobs"
@@ -161,8 +161,6 @@
     }
   ],
   "synopsis": [
-    "reindexdb [ connection-option ...] [ option ...] [ -S | --schema schema ] ... [ -t | --table table ] ... [ -i | --index index ] ... [ dbname ]",
-    "reindexdb [ connection-option ...] [ option ...] -a | --all",
-    "reindexdb [ connection-option ...] [ option ...] -s | --system [ dbname ]"
+    "reindexdb [ connection-option ...] [ option ...] [ -S | --schema schema ] ... [ -t | --table table ] ... [ -i | --index index ] ... [ -s | --system ] [ dbname | -a | --all ]"
   ]
 }

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