Provided by: postgresql-client-8.0_8.0.7-2build1_i386 bug

NAME
       CREATE VIEW - define a new view


SYNOPSIS
       CREATE [ OR REPLACE ] VIEW name [ ( column_name [, ...] ) ] AS query


DESCRIPTION
       CREATE  VIEW  defines  a  view  of  a query. The view is not physically
       materialized. Instead,  the  query  is  run  every  time  the  view  is
       referenced in a query.

       CREATE  OR  REPLACE  VIEW  is  similar,  but if a view of the same name
       already exists, it is replaced. You can only replace a view with a  new
       query  that  generates  the identical set of columns (i.e., same column
       names and data types).

       If a schema name is given (for  example,  CREATE  VIEW  myschema.myview
       ...)  then the view is created in the specified schema. Otherwise it is
       created in the current schema.  The view name must be distinct from the
       name of any other view, table, sequence, or index in the same schema.


PARAMETERS
       name   The  name (optionally schema-qualified) of a view to be created.

       column_name
              An optional list of names to be used for columns  of  the  view.
              If not given, the column names are deduced from the query.

       query  A  query  (that  is,  a SELECT statement) which will provide the
              columns and rows of the view.

              Refer to SELECT [select(7)] for  more  information  about  valid
              queries.


NOTES
       Currently,  views  are  read only: the system will not allow an insert,
       update, or delete on a view. You can get the  effect  of  an  updatable
       view  by  creating  rules  that  rewrite inserts, etc. on the view into
       appropriate actions on other tables. For more  information  see  CREATE
       RULE [create_rule(7)].

       Use the DROP VIEW statement to drop views.

       Be  careful  that  the  names  and  types of the view’s columns will be
       assigned the way you want. For example,

       CREATE VIEW vista AS SELECT ’Hello World’;

       is bad form in two ways: the column name defaults to ?column?, and  the
       column data type defaults to unknown. If you want a string literal in a
       view’s result, use something like

       CREATE VIEW vista AS SELECT text ’Hello World’ AS hello;

       Access to tables referenced in the view is determined by permissions of
       the  view  owner. However, functions called in the view are treated the
       same as if they had been called directly from the query using the view.
       Therefore  the  user  of  a  view  must  have  permissions  to call all
       functions used by the view.


EXAMPLES
       Create a view consisting of all comedy films:

       CREATE VIEW comedies AS
           SELECT *
           FROM films
           WHERE kind = ’Comedy’;


COMPATIBILITY
       The SQL standard specifies some additional capabilities for the  CREATE
       VIEW statement:

       CREATE VIEW name [ ( column [, ...] ) ]
           AS query
           [ WITH [ CASCADE | LOCAL ] CHECK OPTION ]

       The optional clauses for the full SQL command are:

       CHECK OPTION
              This  option  has  to  do  with  updatable views. All INSERT and
              UPDATE commands on the view  will  be  checked  to  ensure  data
              satisfy the view-defining condition (that is, the new data would
              be visible through the view). If they do not, the update will be
              rejected.

       LOCAL  Check for integrity on this view.

       CASCADE
              Check  for  integrity  on  this  view and on any dependent view.
              CASCADE is assumed if neither CASCADE nor LOCAL is specified.

       CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW is a PostgreSQL language extension.


SEE ALSO
       DROP VIEW [drop_view(7)]