pgcatalogpgtables

pg_catalog.pg_tables, sometimes written informally as pgcatalogpgtables, is a system catalog view in PostgreSQL. It provides a convenient, read‑only listing of tables that are accessible to the current user. The view is part of the pg_catalog schema, which stores core database metadata, and is typically used for introspection and administrative tasks.

The view presents one row per table and draws on the underlying catalogs (notably pg_class and pg_namespace) to expose basic identifying information. Typical columns include schemaname (the schema containing the table), tablename (the table’s name), tableowner (the role that owns the table), and tablespace (the name of the tablespace in which the table is stored, or null if the default tablespace is used). Additional boolean attributes commonly exposed indicate whether the table has indexes, has rules, has triggers, and whether row‑level security is enabled. The exact column set can vary slightly across PostgreSQL releases, but these attributes are among the standard elements.

pg_tables is intended for quick discovery of base tables. It does not list views, and it may omit objects the current user cannot access. The view is read‑only, reflecting the database's metadata rather than the actual data stored in tables. Users often filter by schemaname or tablename to locate specific tables, for example by querying where schemaname = 'public'. In practice, pg_tables serves as a stable, user‑friendly entry point for enumerating tables within a database.