The number of tables in a relational database is a good measure of the complexity of a database, so it is a simple way to get to know any database. But the complexity of what? Well, a complex database may have been designed to be deliberately flexible in order to cover a variety of business situations, or a complex business process may have a limited portion of its details covered in the database. So, a large number of tables might likely reveal a complex business process, or just a complex piece of software.
In this recipe, we will show you how to compute the number of tables.
From any interface, type the following SQL command:
SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema NOT IN ('information_schema','pg_catalog');
You can also look at the list of tables directly, and judge whether the list is a small or large number.
In psql
, you can see your own tables by using the following command:
$ psql -c "\d" List of...