PostgreSQL – How to Get the Name of the Current Database

postgresqlpsql

Using \c <database_name> in PostgreSQL will connect to the named database.

How can the name of the current database be determined?

Entering:

my_db> current_database();

produces:

ERROR:  syntax error at or near "current_database"
LINE 1: current_database();

Best Answer

The function current_database() returns the name of the current database:

 SELECT current_database();

It's an SQL function, so you must call it as part of an SQL statement. PostgreSQL doesn't support running functions as standalone queries, and has no CALL statement like some other SQL engines, so you just use SELECT to call a function.

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No that's not possible.

Even if it was possible: as you need to specify a database when you connect, the new database wouldn't be the one the user connected to (and there is no way to re-route the user to the newly created one).

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