micburks / meta

PostgreSQL Extension: More friendly system catalog for PostgreSQL

Meta: Simple system catalog extension for PostgreSQL

This extension provides two facilities:

1. A set of "meta-identifiers", PostgreSQL types that unambiguously reference database objects like tables, views, schemas, roles, etc.
2. A normalized system catalog similar in function to pg_catalog or information_schema, but laid out more readably.

Optionally, the meta_triggers extension can be installed as well, which makes the views writable, so that for example a schema can be created using an insert statement.

Install

Install the extension into PostgreSQL's extension/ directory:

cd meta/
make
sudo make install

From a PostgreSQL shell, install the hstore extension in schema public.

CREATE EXTENSION hstore SCHEMA public;

Finally, install the meta extension:

CREATE EXTENSION meta;

Optionally, install the meta_triggers extension, to make views updatable.

Documentation

Schema Diagram

Meta-Identifiers Type System

• cast_id ( source_type meta.type_id, target_type meta.type_id )
• column_id ( relation_id meta.relation_id, name text )
• connection_id ( pid integer, connection_start timestamp with time zone )
• constraint_id ( table_id meta.relation_id, name text )
• extension_id ( name text )
• field_id ( row_id meta.row_id, column_id meta.column_id )
• foreign_data_wrapper_id ( name text )
• foreign_key_id ( relation_id meta.relation_id, name text )
• foreign_server_id ( name text )
• function_id ( schema_id meta.schema_id, name text, parameters text[] )
• operator_id ( schema_id meta.schema_id, name text, left_arg_type_id meta.type_id, right_arg_type_id meta.type_id )
• policy_id ( relation_id meta.relation_id, name text )
• relation_id ( schema_id meta.schema_id, name text )
• role_id ( name text )
• row_id ( pk_column_id meta.column_id, pk_value text )
• schema_id ( name text )
• sequence_id ( schema_id meta.schema_id, name text )
• table_privilege_id ( relation_id meta.relation_id, role_id meta.role_id, type text )
• trigger_id ( relation_id meta.relation_id, name text )
• type_id ( schema_id meta.schema_id, name text )

Views

• cast
• column
• connection
• constraint_check
• constraint_unique
• extension
• foreign_column
• foreign_data_wrapper
• foreign_key
• foreign_server
• foreign_table
• function
• function_parameter
• operator
• policy
• policy_role
• relation
• relation_column
• role
• role_inheritance
• schema
• sequence
• table
• table_privilege
• trigger
• type
• view