To: "Fred Parkinson" <FredP@abag.ca.gov>
cc: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: Can't query the sequence table of a serial primary key. 
In-reply-to: <4F461C53020000A70001B6BB@gwia1.abag.ca.gov> 
References: <4F461C53020000A70001B6BB@gwia1.abag.ca.gov>
Comments: In-reply-to "Fred Parkinson" <FredP@abag.ca.gov>
	message dated "Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:34 -0800"
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:35:23 -0500
Message-ID: <4387.1330025723@sss.pgh.pa.us>
From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

"Fred Parkinson" <FredP@abag.ca.gov> writes:
> We have moved some databases from 7.x to 8.4
> Previously I could query the sequencing table of a 'serial primary key' by simply running
> select * from mytable_id_seq;
> where mytable has id as a serial primary key and mytable_id_seq is the postgresql relation which manages the key.

That naming relationship isn't guaranteed, and AFAIR it wasn't
guaranteed in 7.4 either; in case of name collision you'd get something
like mytable_id_seq1 instead.

> When I do \d I see the table and the sequencer under 'List of relations'.
> But when I run select * from mytable_id_seq; postgresql responds with:
> relation 'mytable_id_seq' does not exist.

Maybe the sequence is in a schema that's not in your search_path.

			regards, tom lane