pgdump Reference

pg_dump Reference

Use this skill when implementing or debugging pgschema features that involve extracting schema information from PostgreSQL databases. pg_dump is the canonical PostgreSQL schema dumping tool and serves as a reference implementation for how to query system catalogs correctly.

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when:

• Adding support for new PostgreSQL schema objects
• Debugging system catalog queries in ir/inspector.go
• Understanding how PostgreSQL represents objects internally
• Handling version-specific PostgreSQL features (versions 14-17)
• Learning correct DDL formatting patterns
• Understanding object dependency relationships

Source Code Locations

Main pg_dump repository: https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/master/src/bin/pg_dump/

Key files to reference:

• pg_dump.c - Main implementation with system catalog queries
• pg_dump.h - Data structures and function declarations
• pg_dump_sort.c - Dependency sorting logic
• pg_backup_archiver.c - Output formatting
• common.c - Shared utility functions for querying system catalogs

Step-by-Step Workflow

1. Identify the Schema Object

Determine which PostgreSQL object type you're working with:

• Tables and columns
• Constraints (PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY, UNIQUE, CHECK)
• Indexes (regular, unique, partial, functional)
• Triggers (including WHEN conditions, constraint triggers)
• Views and materialized views
• Functions and procedures
• Sequences
• Types (enum, composite, domain)
• Policies (row-level security)
• Aggregates