How to select the reserved word (limit) in postgres

Question

I have the field 'limit' in a table in my postgres database. I run psql and I can't select, update, change this field because is a reserved word in postgresql. There is a way to manage this field?

serene-retreat::SILVER=> select limit from companies;
ERROR:  syntax error at or near "limit"
LINE 1: select limit from companies;

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 14 '15 at 19:51

In SQL reserved (key)words need to be quoted using double quotes:

select "limit" 
from companies;

Note that this also makes column case-sensitive: "LIMIT" is a different name than "limit".

This all explained in the manual:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-syntax-lexical.html#SQL-SYNTAX-IDENTIFIERS

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 14 '15 at 19:27

0

use this

select [limit] from companies;

or

select companies.[limit] from companies;

answered Mar 14 '15 at 19:27

Faisal Hameed

104
1
9

this can also be tried... select '`limit`' from companies; – Faisal Hameed Mar 14 '15 at 19:32
I dont understand your last suggestion – Papaya Labs Mar 14 '15 at 19:34
It list the word 'limit' and no values and the header say '?column?' – Papaya Labs Mar 14 '15 at 19:38
That does not work "in SQL". The SQL standard is pretty clear: reserved words need to be enclosed in double quotes. Square brackets are completely invalid "in SQL" (the standard query language) for an identifier – a_horse_with_no_name Mar 14 '15 at 19:54
check this link http://stackoverflow.com/questions/285775/how-to-deal-with-sql-column-names-that-look-like-sql-keywords – Faisal Hameed Mar 14 '15 at 19:57
That's for *SQL **Server*** not for "SQL". (you _can_ actually make SQL Server honour the SQL standard and accept double quotes for quoted identifiers) – a_horse_with_no_name Mar 14 '15 at 20:17

How to select the reserved word (limit) in postgres

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