Creating Tables in Postgres
As a former 3D Animator with more than 12 years of experience, I have always been fascinated by the intersection of technology and creativity. That's why I recently shifted my career towards MERN stack development and software engineering, where I have been serving since 2021.
With my background in 3D animation, I bring a unique perspective to software development, combining creativity and technical expertise to build innovative and visually engaging applications. I have a passion for learning and staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices, and I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to solve complex problems and create seamless user experiences.
In my current role as a MERN stack developer, I have been responsible for developing and implementing web applications using MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js. I have also gained experience in Agile development methodologies, version control with Git, and cloud-based deployment using platforms like Heroku and AWS.
I am committed to delivering high-quality work that meets the needs of both clients and end-users, and I am always seeking new challenges and opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.
Now that we have a basic database design, the next step is to write SQL to create our first table.
In this lesson, we will create a table called cities with four columns:
name
country
population
area
We will run all SQL inside Supabase using its built-in SQL Editor.
Where Do We Write SQL in Supabase?
In Supabase:
Open your Supabase project
Go to SQL Editor
Click New Query
Write your SQL and press Run
Behind the scenes, this is what is happening:
Supabase (the dashboard) acts like a client
You write SQL in the SQL Editor
Supabase sends that SQL to the PostgreSQL database
PostgreSQL runs it and sends back the result
So yes — you are working with a real PostgreSQL database.
The SQL to Create the cities Table
Now let’s write the SQL.
create table cities (
name varchar(50),
country varchar(50),
population integer,
area integer
);
What this SQL means
create table cities→ create a table named citiesInside
( ... )we define columnsEach column has:
a column name
a data type
Column Data Types (Simple Explanation)
varchar(50)
Used for text (strings)
(50)means: max length 50 characters
Example:Tokyo,Pakistan,Karachi
So:
name varchar(50)→ city name as textcountry varchar(50)→ country name as text
integer
- Used for whole numbers
Example:100,50000,20000000
So:
population integer→ population as a numberarea integer→ area as a number
Common Things to Double Check
Before you run the query:
✅ commas after each line except the last one
✅ parentheses are correct
✅ semicolon
;at the end
After Running the Query
When you click Run:
PostgreSQL creates the
citiestable in your databaseYou can see it in Supabase as well:
Go to:
Table Editor → public → cities
You should see the table with these columns:
name
country
population
area
At this point, your table is ready — and in the next step, we can start inserting data into it.
Quick Note
This query created a table successfully, but we will improve it later (for example, adding an id column).
For now, this is perfect for understanding the basics of table creation.