
Hello,

I have a table with a serial type in it as a record id.
The type of this object comes back as int4 when I query via
pg_type.

How can I distinguish this counter type from just a plain int4?

Peter


06 Sep 2003 15:56:19 -0700
pw <p.willis@telus.net>
sequences and pg_type
pw <p.willis@telus.net> writes:
> I have a table with a serial type in it as a record id.
> The type of this object comes back as int4 when I query via
> pg_type.
> How can I distinguish this counter type from just a plain int4?

Well, you can't, because serial isn't actually a type in Postgres.
As the manual tries to explain, serial is just a shorthand for creating
an integer column whose default is a nextval() call on a sequence.
So the way to tell is to look for a default expression of that kind.

			regards, tom lane

Sat, 06 Sep 2003 21:19:27 -0400
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Re: sequences and pg_type 