Description

Adds a geometry column to an existing table of attributes. The schema_name is the name of the table schema. The srid must be an integer value reference to an entry in the SPATIAL_REF_SYS table. The type must be a string corresponding to the geometry type, eg, 'POLYGON' or 'MULTILINESTRING' . An error is thrown if the schemaname doesn't exist (or not visible in the current search_path) or the specified SRID, geometry type, or dimension is invalid.

This method implements the OGC Simple Features Implementation Specification for SQL 1.1.

This function supports 3d and will not drop the z-index.

This method supports Circular Strings and Curves.

Enhanced: 2.0.0 use_typmod argument introduced. Defaults to creating typmod geometry column instead of constraint-based.

Examples

-- Create schema to hold data
CREATE SCHEMA my_schema;
-- Create a new simple PostgreSQL table
CREATE TABLE my_schema.my_spatial_table (id serial);

-- Describing the table shows a simple table with a single "id" column.
postgis=# \d my_schema.my_spatial_table
							 Table "my_schema.my_spatial_table"
 Column |  Type   |                                Modifiers
--------+---------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 id     | integer | not null default nextval('my_schema.my_spatial_table_id_seq'::regclass)

-- Add a spatial column to the table
SELECT AddGeometryColumn ('my_schema','my_spatial_table','geom',4326,'POINT',2);

-- Add a point using the old constraint based behavior
SELECT AddGeometryColumn ('my_schema','my_spatial_table','geom_c',4326,'POINT',2, false);

--Add a curvepolygon using old constraint behavior
SELECT AddGeometryColumn ('my_schema','my_spatial_table','geomcp_c',4326,'CURVEPOLYGON',2, false);

-- Describe the table again reveals the addition of a new geometry columns.
\d my_schema.my_spatial_table
                            addgeometrycolumn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 my_schema.my_spatial_table.geomcp_c SRID:4326 TYPE:CURVEPOLYGON DIMS:2
(1 row)

                                    Table "my_schema.my_spatial_table"
  Column  |         Type         |                                Modifiers
----------+----------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 id       | integer              | not null default nextval('my_schema.my_spatial_table_id_seq'::regclass)
 geom     | geometry(Point,4326) |
 geom_c   | geometry             |
 geomcp_c | geometry             |
Check constraints:
    "enforce_dims_geom_c" CHECK (st_ndims(geom_c) = 2)
    "enforce_dims_geomcp_c" CHECK (st_ndims(geomcp_c) = 2)
    "enforce_geotype_geom_c" CHECK (geometrytype(geom_c) = 'POINT'::text OR geom_c IS NULL)
    "enforce_geotype_geomcp_c" CHECK (geometrytype(geomcp_c) = 'CURVEPOLYGON'::text OR geomcp_c IS NULL)
    "enforce_srid_geom_c" CHECK (st_srid(geom_c) = 4326)
    "enforce_srid_geomcp_c" CHECK (st_srid(geomcp_c) = 4326)

-- geometry_columns view also registers the new columns --
SELECT f_geometry_column As col_name, type, srid, coord_dimension As ndims
    FROM geometry_columns
    WHERE f_table_name = 'my_spatial_table' AND f_table_schema = 'my_schema';

 col_name |     type     | srid | ndims
----------+--------------+------+-------
 geom     | Point        | 4326 |     2
 geom_c   | Point        | 4326 |     2
 geomcp_c | CurvePolygon | 4326 |     2

See Also

DropGeometryColumn, DropGeometryTable, Section 4.6.2, “GEOMETRY_COLUMNS View”, Section 4.6.3, “Manually Registering Geometry Columns”