---
title: "BKI Commands"
id: bki-commands
pg_version: "20devel"
---

<a id="bki-commands"></a>

## 68.4. BKI Commands

** `create` `tablename` `tableoid` [`bootstrap`] [`shared_relation`] [`rowtype_oid` `oid`] (`name1` = `type1` [`FORCE NOT NULL` | `FORCE NULL` ] [, `name2` = `type2` [`FORCE NOT NULL` | `FORCE NULL` ], ...]) **

 Create a table named `tablename`, and having the OID `tableoid`, with the columns given in parentheses.  The following column types are supported directly by `bootstrap.c`: `bool`, `bytea`, `char` (1 byte), `int2`, `int4`, `int8`, `float4`, `float8`, `name`, `regproc`, `text`, `jsonb`, `oid`, `pg_node_tree`, `int2vector`, `oidvector`, `_int4` (array), `_text` (array), `_oid` (array), `_char` (array), `_aclitem` (array). Although it is possible to create tables containing columns of other types, this cannot be done until after pg_type has been created and filled with appropriate entries. (That effectively means that only these column types can be used in bootstrap catalogs, but non-bootstrap catalogs can contain any built-in type.)  When `bootstrap` is specified, the table will only be created on disk; nothing is entered into pg_class, pg_attribute, etc., for it. Thus the table will not be accessible by ordinary SQL operations until such entries are made the hard way (with `insert` commands). This option is used for creating pg_class etc. themselves.  The table is created as shared if `shared_relation` is specified. The table's row type OID (pg_type OID) can optionally be specified via the `rowtype_oid` clause; if not specified, an OID is automatically generated for it. (The `rowtype_oid` clause is useless if `bootstrap` is specified, but it can be provided anyway for documentation.) ** `open` `tablename` **

 Open the table named `tablename` for insertion of data. Any currently open table is closed. ** `close` `tablename` **

 Close the open table. The name of the table must be given as a cross-check. ** `insert` `(` `value1` `value2` ... `)` **

 Insert a new row into the open table using `value1`, `value2`, etc., for its column values.  NULL values can be specified using the special key word `_null_`. Values that do not look like identifiers or digit strings must be single-quoted. (To include a single quote in a value, write it twice. Escape-string-style backslash escapes are allowed in the string, too.)  In most cases a `value` string is simply fed to the datatype input routine for the column's data type, after de-quoting if needed. However there are exceptions for certain fields, as detailed previously. ** `declare` [`unique`] `index` `indexname` `indexoid` `on` `tablename` `using` `amname` `(` `opclass1` `name1` [, ...] `)` **

 Create an index named `indexname`, having OID `indexoid`, on the table named `tablename`, using the `amname` access method. The fields to index are called `name1`, `name2` etc., and the operator classes to use are `opclass1`, `opclass2` etc., respectively. The index file is created and appropriate catalog entries are made for it, but the index contents are not initialized by this command. ** `declare toast` `toasttableoid` `toastindexoid` `on` `tablename` **

 Create a TOAST table for the table named `tablename`. The TOAST table is assigned OID `toasttableoid` and its index is assigned OID `toastindexoid`. As with `declare index`, filling of the index is postponed. **`build indices`**

 Fill in the indices that have previously been declared.