How to Rename a Column in PostgreSQL

July 23, 2024 By Matthew Rathbone

The ALTER TABLE statement is used to modify an existing table structure. To rename a column, you will use the RENAME COLUMN clause.

Syntax:

ALTER TABLE table_name RENAME COLUMN old_column_name TO new_column_name;

Example:

Suppose you have a table employees with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE employees (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    firstname VARCHAR(50),
    lastname VARCHAR(50),
    dob DATE
);

To rename the column dob to birthdate, you would use the following command:

ALTER TABLE employees RENAME COLUMN dob TO birthdate;

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Check Existing Table Structure

First, ensure you know the current structure of the table. You can use the \d command in psql or pgAdmin to describe the table.

\d employees

Output:

 Column    |         Type          | Collation | Nullable |               Default
-----------+-----------------------+-----------+----------+--------------------------------------
 id        | integer               |           | not null | nextval('employees_id_seq'::regclass)
 firstname | character varying(50) |           |          |
 lastname  | character varying(50) |           |          |
 dob       | date                  |           |          |

2. Rename the Column

Execute the ALTER TABLE command to rename the column.

ALTER TABLE employees RENAME COLUMN dob TO birthdate;

3. Verify the Change

Describe the table again to confirm the column has been renamed.

\d employees

Output:

 Column    |         Type          | Collation | Nullable |               Default
-----------+-----------------------+-----------+----------+--------------------------------------
 id        | integer               |           | not null | nextval('employees_id_seq'::regclass)
 firstname | character varying(50) |           |          |
 lastname  | character varying(50) |           |          |
 birthdate | date                  |           |          |

Considerations

Dependencies: Renaming a column does not automatically update references to that column in views, functions, triggers, or other database objects. You will need to manually update these objects.
Permissions: Ensure you have the necessary permissions to alter the table structure.
Backup: Always take a backup of your database before performing schema changes.

Using Beekeeper Studio to Rename Columns

Beekeeper Studio is a GUI alternative to working directly with SQL statements. An open-source SQL editor and database manager, Beekeeper Studio makes renaming columns in PostgreSQL easy and quick.

Renaming a column using Beekeeper Studio:

Connect to your PostgreSQL database.
Navigate to the desired table.
All your columns are listed; choose the one you want to rename and simply click on it.
Type in the new name and hit enter.

Beekeeper Studio takes care of all the SQL commands for you. Plus, it’s compatible with many other SQL dialects, so you can smoothly transition to any other SQL environment.

Conclusion

Renaming a column in PostgreSQL can improve the readability and maintainability of your database schema. It is a straightforward process using either the ALTER TABLE … RENAME COLUMN commands or using a SQL editor like Beekeeper Studio. Make sure to check and update any dependencies prior to renaming columns to avoid runtime errors.

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