PostgreSQL

Explore our curated collection of articles, insights, and stories about PostgreSQL.

13 Articles

How to Get Enums in Prisma Client: Import, Query

PostgreSQL

7 min read·2026-09-07

How to Get Enums in Prisma Client: Import, Query

Stuck trying to access Prisma enum values? This guide shows you exactly how to import, use, and validate generated enum types in your Node.js app.

PostgreSQL

8 min read·2026-09-03

Fix PostgreSQL Server Won't Start on Mac OS X (2026)

A fresh Homebrew install of PostgreSQL on a Mac completes without errors, then psql answers connection refused because the server was never started. Which command starts it depends on

Fix: password authentication failed for user "postgres"

PostgreSQL

6 min·2026-08-03

Fix: password authentication failed for user "postgres"

The error fires when psql reaches the password prompt but the password PostgreSQL has on file does not match what you typed — common after switching auth methods, restoring from a dump, or using Docker with a baked-in password. Fix it by setting a password with ALTER USER inside psql, then verifying pg_hba.conf has scram-sha-256 (not md5 or trust) for the line matching your connection.

PostgreSQL

6 min·2026-08-03

Fix: psql: command not found (Install PostgreSQL Client)

The error fires when the shell cannot locate the psql binary — either PostgreSQL is not installed (only the server or a GUI client is), or it is installed but its bin directory is not on PATH. Fix it by installing the postgresql-client package (apt/brew), installing PostgreSQL itself (choco on Windows), or appending the bin directory to PATH.

PostgreSQL

9 min read·2026-07-29

How to Drop All Tables in PostgreSQL Safely (2026)

Dropping tables one by one is painful. Here is the one-command reset, the PostgreSQL 15 permission gotcha that breaks it, and the safe way to do it on Supabase.

PostgreSQL

10 min read·2026-07-22

How to Change a PostgreSQL User Password (Supabase)

`ALTER ROLE alice WITH PASSWORD 'newpass';` is the SQL. The psql `\password` prompt avoids logging the cleartext. In Supabase the `postgres` role password is reset from the Dashboard, not SQL. Here is each method, the scram-sha-256 default, and the three things that break after a password change.

PostgreSQL

9 min read·2026-07-22

PostgreSQL SHOW TABLES / DESCRIBE TABLE (psql + Supabase)

Coming from MySQL you type `SHOW TABLES` or `DESCRIBE table` and PostgreSQL throws a syntax error — both are MySQL commands. The psql equivalents are `\dt` (list tables) and `\d table_name` (describe a table); the portable SQL equivalents are `information_schema.tables` and `information_schema.columns`. Here is exactly what to run in psql, the Supabase SQL editor, Drizzle, or any client, plus why your query returns zero rows.

$PostgreSQL DESCRIBE TABLE: The psql \d Equivalent$

PostgreSQL

5 min·2026-07-21

PostgreSQL DESCRIBE TABLE: The psql \d Equivalent

Coming from MySQL you type DESCRIBE table and psql throws a syntax error. The psql equivalent is \d table_name. For Supabase, Drizzle, or any SQL client without backslash commands, use the information_schema.columns view.

Fix: Peer Authentication Failed for User "postgres"

PostgreSQL

6 min·2026-07-21

Fix: Peer Authentication Failed for User "postgres"

The error fires when PostgreSQL's peer auth check compares the OS username to the database role and they differ — common after sudo-ing into psql or in local dev. Fix it by matching users, or by switching the local auth method to scram-sha-256 with a real password.

Fix Postgres 'Could Not Serialize Access' (40001)

PostgreSQL

9 min read·2026-06-18

Fix Postgres 'Could Not Serialize Access' (40001)

Postgres aborts one transaction with 40001 to prevent a serialization anomaly. The docs are explicit: apps using REPEATABLE READ or SERIALIZABLE must be prepared to retry. Here's the correct retry loop and how to reduce conflicts.

Fix Foreign Key Constraint Violation in Supabase (23503)

PostgreSQL

9 min read·2026-06-18

Fix Foreign Key Constraint Violation in Supabase (23503)

23503 means a foreign key relationship is broken. Inserting a child before its parent? Insert the parent first. Can't delete a parent with children? Choose an ON DELETE action. The most common Supabase case is a profiles row referencing auth.users.

Select the First Row per Group in Supabase Postgres

PostgreSQL

8 min read·2026-06-18

Select the First Row per Group in Supabase Postgres

The "greatest-N-per-group" problem: one representative row per group. Postgres solves it with DISTINCT ON; supabase-js can't express that directly, so you wrap it in a view or an RPC function. Both confirmed by Supabase maintainers.