Why am I getting a 'postgres column \'X\' does not exist' error in my PostgreSQL query?

Troubleshooting PostgreSQL's "column "X" does not exist" Error

PostgreSQL users often encounter the error "postgres column "X" does not exist". This typically arises from incorrectly referencing a column within an SQL query. The problem usually stems from treating a string value as a column name.

Solution: Correct String Literal Usage

The solution lies in properly quoting string literals in your SQL statements. Strings, representing textual data, require single or double quotes to differentiate them from column and table names.

Here's a corrected example:

INSERT INTO config_change_log (last_config_version, is_done, change_description)
VALUES ('5837-2016-08-24_09-12-22', false, '{ ''key'':''value''}');

Notice how "5837-2016-08-24_09-12-22" is now correctly enclosed in single quotes, identifying it as a string value.

Best Practices for Strings in PostgreSQL

Follow these guidelines when handling string literals in PostgreSQL:

• Consistent Quoting: Always enclose strings in either single or double quotes. Maintaining consistency improves readability and reduces errors.
• Single Quote Preference: Generally, favor single quotes (' ') for string literals. They're simpler and less prone to conflicts with reserved words.
• Escaping Single Quotes: If your string contains single quotes, use double quotes (" ") to enclose the entire string, or escape the single quotes within the string using a backslash ('). For example:

INSERT INTO config_change_log (change_description)
VALUES ('This text contains a ''single'' quote.');

or

INSERT INTO config_change_log (change_description)
VALUES ("This text contains a 'single' quote.");

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