How to determine what is preventing deleting a rule

stan <stanb@panix.com> writes:

I have deleted, what i thought were all the objects referenced by these roles,
but I still get an error saying there is one object they reference.
How can I find out what this object is?

The error should tell you, if you're connected to the database where
that object is.

regression=# create database d1;
CREATE DATABASE
regression=# create database d2;
CREATE DATABASE
regression=# create user joe;
CREATE ROLE
regression=# \c d2 joe
You are now connected to database "d2" as user "joe".
d2=> create table tt(d1 int);
CREATE TABLE
d2=> \c d1 postgres
You are now connected to database "d1" as user "postgres".
d1=# drop user joe;
ERROR: role "joe" cannot be dropped because some objects depend on it
DETAIL: 1 object in database d2
d1=# \c d2
You are now connected to database "d2" as user "postgres".
d2=# drop user joe;
ERROR: role "joe" cannot be dropped because some objects depend on it
DETAIL: owner of table tt

Unfortunately, we can't see into the catalogs of a different database
to explain about dependencies there ...

regards, tom lane

How can I find out what this object is?

This query might help if the object is a table:

SELECT c.relname as table,
a.rolname as owner,
c.relacl as permits
FROM pg_class c
JOIN pg_authid a ON ( a.OID = c.relowner )
WHERE relname NOT LIKE 'pg_%'
AND relname NOT LIKE 'information%'
AND relname NOT LIKE 'sql_%'
AND relkind = 'r'
AND a.rolname = '<the_owner_with_problem>'
ORDER BY relname;

Since you have not stated the PostgreSQL version, I can only
assure you this will work for 9.6 and below.

On Sat, Aug 17, 2019 at 7:49 PM Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:

stan <stanb@panix.com> writes:

I have deleted, what i thought were all the objects referenced by these

roles,

but I still get an error saying there is one object they reference.
How can I find out what this object is?

The error should tell you, if you're connected to the database where
that object is.

regression=# create database d1;
CREATE DATABASE
regression=# create database d2;
CREATE DATABASE
regression=# create user joe;
CREATE ROLE
regression=# \c d2 joe
You are now connected to database "d2" as user "joe".
d2=> create table tt(d1 int);
CREATE TABLE
d2=> \c d1 postgres
You are now connected to database "d1" as user "postgres".
d1=# drop user joe;
ERROR: role "joe" cannot be dropped because some objects depend on it
DETAIL: 1 object in database d2
d1=# \c d2
You are now connected to database "d2" as user "postgres".
d2=# drop user joe;
ERROR: role "joe" cannot be dropped because some objects depend on it
DETAIL: owner of table tt

Unfortunately, we can't see into the catalogs of a different database
to explain about dependencies there ...

regards, tom lane

--
*Melvin Davidson*
*Maj. Database & Exploration Specialist*
*Universe Exploration Command – UXC*
Employment by invitation only!