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Constraints

Data Types As Constraints

Columns of a PostgreSQL database table must have a data type, which constrains the type of information that can be entered into that column. This is important in order to ensure data integrity and consistency over time. Some common PostgreSQL types are integer, decimal, varchar, and boolean. Data types are defined in a CREATE TABLE statement by indicating the data type after each column name.

CREATE TABLE tablename (
myNum integer,
myString varchar(50)
);

Check Constraints

When using PostgreSQL, it can be important to enforce check constraints on columns of a database table in order to ensure data integrity and consistency over time. Check constraints can be enforced on a single column, multiple columns, or on all columns. They are implemented within a CREATE TABLE statement using the CHECK keyword.

CREATE TABLE table_name (
column_1 integer,
column_2 text,
column_3 numeric CHECK (column_3 > 0),
column_4 numeric CHECK (column_4 > 0),
CHECK (column_3 > column_4)
);

Multiple Constraints

Columns in a database table can have multiple constraints. Multiple constraints can be implemented by listing them in a row following the relevant column name and data type in a CREATE TABLE statement. The order of the constraints does not matter.

CREATE TABLE table_name (
column_1 integer NOT NULL CHECK (column_3 > 0),
column_2 text UNIQUE NOT NULL,
column_3 numeric
);

NOT NULL

In PostgreSQL, NOT NULL constraints can be used to ensure that particular columns of a database table do not contain missing data. This is important for ensuring database integrity and consistency over time. NOT NULL constraints can be enforced within a CREATE TABLE statement using NOT NULL.

CREATE TABLE table_name (
column_1 integer NOT NULL,
column_2 text NOT NULL,
column_3 numeric
);

UNIQUE

In PostgreSQL, UNIQUE constraints can be used to ensure that elements of a particular column (or group of columns) are unique (i.e., no two rows have the same value or combination of values). This is important for ensuring database integrity and consistency over time. UNIQUE constraints can be enforced within a CREATE TABLE statement using the UNIQUE keyword.

CREATE TABLE table_name (
column_1 integer UNIQUE,
column_2 text UNIQUE,
column_3 numeric,
column_4 text,
UNIQUE(column_3, column_4)
);

Primary Key Constraint

In PostgreSQL, a primary key constraint indicates that a particular column (or group of columns) in a database table can be used to identify a unique row in that table. In terms of restrictions, this is equivalent to a UNIQUE NOT NULL constraint; however, a table may only have one primary key, whereas multiple columns can be constrained as UNIQUE NOT NULL. A primary key constraint can be enforced within a CREATE TABLE statement using PRIMARY KEY

-- A primary key on one column
CREATE TABLE table_name (
column_1 integer PRIMARY KEY,
column_2 text,
);
-- A composite primary key
CREATE TABLE table_name (
column_1 integer,
column_2 text,
column_2 integer,
PRIMARY KEY (column_1, column_2),
);

Foreign Key Constraint

In PostgreSQL, a foreign key constraint ensures that the values in a particular column of a database table exactly match values in another database table. This is important to ensure the “referential integrity” of the database. A foreign key constraint can be enforced within a CREATE TABLE statement either by adding REFERENCES other_table_name (other_table_primary_key) after the relevant column name and type or using FOREIGN KEY (column_1, column_2) REFERENCES other_table_name (other_key1, other_key2) to indicate a link between groups of columns.

CREATE TABLE table_1 (
column_1 integer PRIMARY KEY,
column_2 text,
column_3 numeric
);
-- Option 1
CREATE TABLE table_2 (
column_a integer PRIMARY KEY,
column_b integer REFERENCES table_1 (column_2),
column_c integer
);
-- Option 2 - Creating columns b and c are a composite foreign key referencing columns c1 and c2 from other_table
CREATE TABLE t1 (
a integer PRIMARY KEY,
b integer,
c integer,
FOREIGN KEY (b, c) REFERENCES other_table (c1, c2)
);

Cascade and Restrict

In PostgreSQL, when implementing foreign key constraints in a database table, it is possible to preemptively specify database behavior when values in a referenced column are updated or deleted. Specifying ON DELETE RESTRICT or ON UPDATE RESTRICT after a foreign key constraint ensures that referenced values/rows cannot be deleted/updated.

Specifying ON DELETE CASCADE or ON UPDATE CASCADE ensures that updated/deleted values/rows in the referenced table are automatically updated/deleted in the referencing table.

CREATE TABLE products (
product_no integer PRIMARY KEY,
name text,
price numeric
);
CREATE TABLE orders (
order_id integer PRIMARY KEY,
shipping_address text,
);
CREATE TABLE order_items (
product_no integer REFERENCES products ON DELETE RESTRICT,
order_id integer REFERENCES orders ON DELETE CASCADE,
quantity integer,
PRIMARY KEY (product_no, order_id)
);

Updating A Table With Constraints

In PostgreSQL, when implementing a constraint on an existing table, the table must already be consistent with the constraint or PostgreSQL will reject the new constraint. A DB user may backfill the table using UPDATE or ALTER TABLE statements to make the table consistent with the constraint.

CREATE TABLE products (
product_no integer PRIMARY KEY,
name text,
price numeric,
sale_price numeric
);
--Assume some values in `sale_price` are missing, and we'd like to apply a `NOT NULL` constraint on `sale_price`. We must `UPDATE` the table before applying our constraint.
UPDATE TABLE products
SET sale_price = 0 WHERE sale_price IS NULL

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