Cannot create a database table named 'user' in PostgreSQL

Question

It seems PostgreSQL does not allow to create a database table named 'user'. But MySQL will allow to create such a table.

Is that because it is a key word? But Hibernate cannot identify any issue (even if we set the PostgreSQLDialect).

Answer 1

user is a reserved word and it's usually not a good idea use reserved words for identifiers (tables, columns).

If you insist on doing that you have to put the table name in double quotes:

create table "user" (...); 

But then you always need to use double quotes when referencing the table. Additionally the table name is then case-sensitive. "user" is a different table name than "User".

If you want to save yourself a lot of trouble use a different name. users, user_account, ...

More details on quoted identifiers can be found in the manual: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-syntax-lexical.html#SQL-SYNTAX-IDENTIFIERS

Answer 2

It is possible to specify tablename with JPA with next syntax:

@Table(name="\"user\"")