List columns with indexes in PostgreSQL

Question

I would like to get the columns that an index is on in PostgreSQL.

In MySQL you can use SHOW INDEXES FOR table and look at the Column_name

Answer 1

Some sample data...

create table test (a int, b int, c int, constraint pk_test primary key(a, b));
create table test2 (a int, b int, c int, constraint uk_test2 unique (b, c));
create table test3 (a int, b int, c int, constraint uk_test3b unique (b), constraint uk_test3c unique (c), constraint uk_test3ab unique (a, b));

Use pg_get_indexdef function:

select pg_get_indexdef(indexrelid) from pg_index where indrelid = 'test'::regclass;

                    pg_get_indexdef
--------------------------------------------------------
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX pk_test ON test USING btree (a, b)
(1 row)


select pg_get_indexdef(indexrelid) from pg_index where indrelid = 'test2'::regclass;
                     pg_get_indexdef
----------------------------------------------------------
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX uk_test2 ON test2 USING btree (b, c)
(1 row)


select pg_get_indexdef(indexrelid) from pg_index where indrelid ='test3'::regclass;
                      pg_get_indexdef
------------------------------------------------------------
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX uk_test3b ON test3 USING btree (b)
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX uk_test3c ON test3 USING btree (c)
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX uk_test3ab ON test3 USING btree (a, b)
(3 rows)

Answer 2

Extend to good answer of @Cope360. To get for certain table ( incase their is same table name but different schema ), just using table OID.

select
     t.relname as table_name
    ,i.relname as index_name
    ,a.attname as column_name
    ,a.attrelid tableid

from
    pg_class t,
    pg_class i,
    pg_index ix,
    pg_attribute a
where
    t.oid = ix.indrelid
    and i.oid = ix.indexrelid
    and a.attrelid = t.oid
    and a.attnum = ANY(ix.indkey)
    and t.relkind = 'r'
    -- and t.relname like 'tbassettype'
    and a.attrelid = '"dbLegal".tbassettype'::regclass
order by
    t.relname,
    i.relname;

Explain : I have table name 'tbassettype' in both schema 'dbAsset' and 'dbLegal'. To get only table on dbLegal, just let a.attrelid = its OID.

Answer 3

PostgreSQL (pg_indexes):

SELECT * FROM pg_indexes WHERE tablename = 'mytable';

MySQL (SHOW INDEX):

SHOW INDEX FROM mytable;

Answer 4

Combined with others code and created a view:

CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW view_index AS 
SELECT
     n.nspname  as "schema"
    ,t.relname  as "table"
    ,c.relname  as "index"
    ,pg_get_indexdef(indexrelid) as "def"
FROM pg_catalog.pg_class c
    JOIN pg_catalog.pg_namespace n ON n.oid        = c.relnamespace
    JOIN pg_catalog.pg_index i ON i.indexrelid = c.oid
    JOIN pg_catalog.pg_class t ON i.indrelid   = t.oid
WHERE c.relkind = 'i'
    and n.nspname not in ('pg_catalog', 'pg_toast')
    and pg_catalog.pg_table_is_visible(c.oid)
ORDER BY
     n.nspname
    ,t.relname
    ,c.relname;

Answer 5

This commands shows the view of tables variables, indexes and constraints too

=# \d table_name;

Example:

testannie=# \d dv.l_customer_account;

Answer 6

I don't think this version exists on this thread yet: it provides both the list of column names along with the ddl for the index.

CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW V_TABLE_INDEXES AS

SELECT
     n.nspname  as "schema"
    ,t.relname  as "table"
    ,c.relname  as "index"
    ,i.indisunique AS "is_unique"
    ,array_to_string(array_agg(a.attname), ', ') as "columns"
    ,pg_get_indexdef(i.indexrelid) as "ddl"
FROM pg_catalog.pg_class c
    JOIN pg_catalog.pg_namespace n ON n.oid        = c.relnamespace
    JOIN pg_catalog.pg_index i ON i.indexrelid = c.oid
    JOIN pg_catalog.pg_class t ON i.indrelid   = t.oid
    JOIN pg_attribute a ON a.attrelid = t.oid AND a.attnum = ANY(i.indkey)
WHERE c.relkind = 'i'
      and n.nspname not in ('pg_catalog', 'pg_toast')
      and pg_catalog.pg_table_is_visible(c.oid)
GROUP BY
    n.nspname
    ,t.relname
    ,c.relname
    ,i.indisunique
    ,i.indexrelid
ORDER BY
    n.nspname
    ,t.relname
    ,c.relname;

I found that indexes using functions don't link to column names, so occasionally you find an index listing e.g. one column name when in fact is uses 3.

Example:

CREATE INDEX ui1 ON table1 (coalesce(col1,''),coalesce(col2,''),col3)

The query returns only 'col3' as a column on the index, but the DDL shows the full set of columns used in the index.