Using squirrel sql with postgresql: backslash syntax error?

Question

I am trying to run basic postgresql commands which start with a backslash within Squirrel SQL sql client. For example, I'd like to be able to type

\dt 

to mean "SHOW TABLES" instead of

"SELECT * FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'public';"  

This works from the psql command line. However, when I try to run "\dt" within Squirrel I get a syntax error message:

Error: ERROR: syntax error at or near "\"
Position: 1
SQLState:  42601
ErrorCode: 0

I assume there's some kind of SQL syntax checking going on here on the part of Squirrel? Does any one know a way to make PostgreSQL commands which start with a backslash work in Squirrel SQL? I have the Postgres plugin installed...

Thanks,

Answer 1

The backslash commands are part of the psql client, not the PostgreSQL backend server. psql translates them into batches of SQL, which you can see by running psql with the -E flag, and uses the results to produce the displayed output.

This means you can't use these commands from other clients.

Alongside the inability to use pg_dump from within a PostgreSQL protocol session, or get equivalent functionality from the backend server, this is a bit of an FAQ.

At this point the only real option is to use a client that understands the information_schema or PostgreSQL's catalogs (pg_catalog) and can produce the display you want its self. A popular choice is PgAdmin-III, though I stick with psql myself.