pg_get_indexdef() — PostgreSQL system administration function

pg_get_indexdef(): index description. PostgreSQL system administration functions — signature, volatility, version applicability and an illustrative example.

The Sev-1 Admin
The Sev-1 Admin  ·  2 min read

Summary

pg_get_indexdef is a PostgreSQL built-in function in the System Administration Functions group. PostgreSQL’s system catalog (pg_proc) describes it as: “index description”.

Signature

pg_get_indexdef has 2 documented overloaded forms:

pg_get_indexdef(oid) → text
pg_get_indexdef(oid, integer, boolean) → text

Argument and return types are taken from the pg_proc catalog; internal type names are shown using their readable SQL spellings (for example int4 is shown as integer). (Derived from the catalog — see the linked reference for the canonical documentation.)

Classification

  • Category: System Administration Functions
  • Kind: Function
  • Volatility: STABLE — Marked STABLE — within a single statement it returns a consistent result for the same arguments, but the result can change between statements.
  • Returns: text

Example

Illustrative form (replace placeholder values with your own data):

SELECT pg_get_indexdef(42);

The example above is illustrative and is meant to show calling syntax only; consult the linked PostgreSQL documentation for exact semantics, edge cases and accepted argument combinations.

Version applicability

pg_get_indexdef is present across the surveyed releases (PostgreSQL 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). On older major versions, behaviour may differ in detail — always check the documentation for the version you run.

Related & references

Reference: PostgreSQL documentation — System Administration Functions.