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$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/create_tablespace.sgml,v 1.7 2006/10/31 01:52:31 neilc Exp $
PostgreSQL documentation
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<refentry id="SQL-CREATETABLESPACE">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="sql-createtablespace-title">CREATE TABLESPACE</refentrytitle>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>CREATE TABLESPACE</refname>
  <refpurpose>define a new tablespace</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <indexterm zone="sql-createtablespace">
  <primary>CREATE TABLESPACE</primary>
 </indexterm>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>

CREATE TABLESPACE tablespace_name [OWNER username] FILESPACE filespace_name

</synopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <command>CREATE TABLESPACE</command> registers a new cluster-wide
   tablespace.  The tablespace name must be distinct from the name of any
   existing tablespace in the database cluster.
  </para>

  <para>
   A tablespace allows superusers to define an alternative location on
   the file system where the data files containing database objects
   (such as tables and indexes) may reside.
  </para>

  <para>
   A user with appropriate privileges can pass
   <replaceable class="parameter">tablespacename</> to
   <command>CREATE DATABASE</>, <command>CREATE TABLE</>,
   <command>CREATE INDEX</> or <command>ADD CONSTRAINT</> to have the data
   files for these objects stored within the specified tablespace.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Parameters</title>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">tablespacename</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        The name of a tablespace to be created.  The name cannot
        begin with <literal>pg_</literal>, as such names
        are reserved for system tablespaces.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">username</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        The name of the user who will own the tablespace.  If omitted,
        defaults to the user executing the command.  Only superusers
        may create tablespaces, but they can assign ownership of tablespaces
        to non-superusers.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">directory</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        The directory that will be used for the tablespace. The directory
        must be empty and must be owned by the
        <productname>PostgreSQL</> system user.  The directory must be
        specified by an absolute path name.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Notes</title>

  <para>
   Tablespaces are only supported on systems that support symbolic links.
  </para>

   <para>
    <command>CREATE TABLESPACE</> cannot be executed inside a transaction
    block.
   </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Examples</title>

  <para>
   Create a tablespace <literal>dbspace</> at <literal>/data/dbs</>:
<programlisting>
CREATE TABLESPACE dbspace LOCATION '/data/dbs';
</programlisting>
  </para>

  <para>
   Create a tablespace <literal>indexspace</> at <literal>/data/indexes</>
   owned by user <literal>genevieve</>:
<programlisting>
CREATE TABLESPACE indexspace OWNER genevieve LOCATION '/data/indexes';
</programlisting>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Compatibility</title>

  <para>
   <command>CREATE TABLESPACE</command> is a <productname>PostgreSQL</>
   extension.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>See Also</title>

  <simplelist type="inline">
   <member><xref linkend="sql-createdatabase" endterm="sql-createdatabase-title"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-createtable" endterm="sql-createtable-title"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-createindex" endterm="sql-createindex-title"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-droptablespace" endterm="sql-droptablespace-title"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-altertablespace" endterm="sql-altertablespace-title"></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>