<primary>pg_describe_object</primary>

</indexterm>

<indexterm>

<primary>pg_identify_object</primary>

</indexterm>

<indexterm>

<primary>pg_get_constraintdef</primary>

</indexterm>

<entry><type>text</type></entry>

<entry>get description of a database object</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal><function>pg_identify_object(<parameter>catalog_id</parameter> <type>oid</>, <parameter>object_id</parameter> <type>oid</>, <parameter>object_sub_id</parameter> <type>integer</>)</function></literal></entry>

<entry><parameter>type</> <type>text</>, <parameter>schema</> <type>text</>, <parameter>name</> <type>text</>, <parameter>identity</> <type>text</></entry>

<entry>get identity of a database object</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal><function>pg_get_constraintdef(<parameter>constraint_oid</parameter>)</function></literal></entry>

<entry><type>text</type></entry>

</para>

<para>

<function>pg_describe_object</function> returns a description of a database

<function>pg_describe_object</function> returns atextualdescription of a database

object specified by catalog OID, object OID and a (possibly zero) sub-object ID.

This description is intended to be human-readable, and might be translated,

depending on server configuration.

This is useful to determine the identity of an object as stored in the

<structname>pg_depend</structname> catalog.

</para>

<para>

<function>pg_identify_object</function> returns a row containing enough information

to uniquely identify the database object specified by catalog OID, object OID and a

(possibly zero) sub-object ID. This information is intended to be machine-readable,

and is never translated.

<parameter>type</> identifies the type of database object;

<parameter>schema</> is the schema name that the object belongs in, or

<literal>NULL</> for object types that do not belong to schemas;

<parameter>name</> is the name of the object, quoted if necessary, only

present if it can be used (alongside schema name, if pertinent) as an unique

identifier of the object, otherwise <literal>NULL</>;

<parameter>identity</> is the complete object identity, with the precise format

depending on object type, and each part within the format being

schema-qualified and quoted as necessary.

</para>

<para>

<function>pg_typeof</function> returns the OID of the data type of the

value that is passed to it. This can be helpful for troubleshooting or