Goal This query identifies a logical redundancy and likely data type misuse by finding CHAR columns that have a CHECK constraint on their value's length. The CHAR(n) data type is fixed-width and space-padded, meaning any non-NULL value will have a character length of exactly n. Therefore, a CHECK constraint on length is either superfluous (if it checks <= n) or will always fail (if it checks < n). This pattern indicates that the developer intended to store a variable-length string with a maximum length, for which the VARCHAR data type is the correct and more efficient choice.
Notes The query also considers columns that have been specified by using a domain.
Type Problem detection (Each row in the result could represent a flaw in the design)
Reliability Medium (Medium number of false-positive results)
License MIT (opens in new tab)
Fixing Suggestion Change the column type to VARCHAR(n).
Data Source INFORMATION_SCHEMA+system catalog
SQL Query
WITH columns_with_domains_chk AS (
SELECT cdu.table_schema, cdu.table_name, cdu.column_name, (SELECT data_type FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.domains AS d
WHERE d.domain_schema=dc.domain_schema AND d.domain_name=dc.domain_name) AS data_type, cc.check_clause
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.column_domain_usage AS cdu INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.tables AS t USING (table_schema, table_name)
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.domain_constraints AS dc USING (domain_schema, domain_name)
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.check_constraints AS cc USING (constraint_schema, constraint_name)
WHERE t.table_type IN ('BASE TABLE') 
AND cc.check_clause NOT LIKE '%IS NOT NULL'    
AND cdu.table_schema NOT IN (SELECT schema_name
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.schemata
WHERE schema_name<>'public' AND
schema_owner='postgres' AND schema_name IS NOT NULL)),

text_columns_with_domains_chk AS (
SELECT table_schema, table_name, column_name, data_type, check_clause
FROM columns_with_domains_chk
WHERE data_type LIKE 'character'),

text_simple_chk AS (SELECT 
(SELECT nspname FROM pg_namespace WHERE oid=c.relnamespace) AS table_schema,
c.relname as table_name, 
a.attname AS column_name,
t.typname AS type_name,
pg_get_constraintdef(o.oid) AS check_clause
FROM pg_constraint o INNER JOIN pg_class c ON c.oid = o.conrelid
INNER JOIN pg_attribute a ON a.attrelid = c.oid AND a.attnum = o.conkey[1] AND a.attisdropped = FALSE
INNER JOIN pg_type t ON a.atttypid=t.oid
WHERE cardinality(o.conkey)=1 
AND o.contype = 'c' 
AND t.typname IN ('bpchar')
UNION SELECT table_schema, table_name, column_name, data_type, check_clause
FROM text_columns_with_domains_chk),

fk_columns AS (select target_schema as table_schema, target_table as table_name, a.attname as column_name
from (select 
(select nspname from pg_namespace where oid=c.relnamespace) as target_schema,
c.relname as target_table, 
c.oid as target_table_oid,
unnest(o.conkey) AS target_col
from pg_constraint o inner join pg_class c on c.oid = o.conrelid
where o.contype = 'f') t
inner join pg_attribute a on t.target_col = a.attnum and t.target_table_oid = a.attrelid and a.attisdropped = false)

SELECT  table_schema, table_name, column_name, type_name, check_clause
FROM text_simple_chk AS tc
WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM fk_columns AS f WHERE tc.table_schema=f.table_schema AND tc.table_name=f.table_name
AND tc.column_name=f.column_name)
AND check_clause~'[[:space:]]~[*]{0,1}[[:space:]]+''[^'']*\{[[:digit:]]\,'
OR check_clause~'length[[:space:]]*\(.*>'
OR check_clause~'<.*length[[:space:]]*\('
ORDER BY table_schema, table_name, column_name;

Collections

This query belongs to the following collections:

Find problems automatically

Queries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .

NameDescription
Find problems automaticallyQueries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .

Categories

This query is classified under the following categories:

CHECK constraints

Queries of this category provide information about CHECK constraints.

Data types

Queries of this category provide information about the data types and their usage.

NameDescription
CHECK constraintsQueries of this category provide information about CHECK constraints.
Data typesQueries of this category provide information about the data types and their usage.