Editing a PostgreSQL Database

Live-editing a PostgreSQL database on a production server ... the only way to handle your data.

$ su - pguser
$ psql
psql (9.4.3)
Type "help" for help.

pguser=# \du
... lists roles
pguser=# \l
... lists databases
pguser=# \connect pm1
You are now connected to database "pm1" as user "pguser".
pm1=# \q
$

Same thing but faster - if you already know the psql database name before you get started:

$ psql pm1
psql (9.4.3)
Type "help" for help.

pm1=# \d
... lists tables in the DB

I admit that I knew - from a text backup - what the ID number I needed to remove was.

pm1=# select * from locations;
... shows a big table of all locations
pm1=# select * from locations where id = 247;
... shows a table with only one line

Confirming the search had only the one result was important. Now we can delete it with slightly more confidence:

pm1=# delete from locations where id = 247;
DELETE 1
pm1=# \q
$