CREATE_OPERATOR_FAMILY - define a new operator family

CREATEOPERATORFAMILY is a PostgreSQL extension. There is no CREATEOPERATORFAMILY statement in the SQL standard.

CREATEOPERATORFAMILY creates a new operator family. An operator family defines a collection of related operator classes, and perhaps some additional operators and support functions that are compatible with these operator classes but not essential for the functioning of any individual index. (Operators and functions that are essential to indexes should be grouped within the relevant operator class, rather than being “loose” in the operator family. Typically, single-data-type operators are bound to operator classes, while cross-data-type operators can be loose in an operator family containing operator classes for both data types.) The new operator family is initially empty. It should be populated by issuing subsequent CREATEOPERATORCLASS commands to add contained operator classes, and optionally ALTEROPERATORFAMILY commands to add “loose” operators and their corresponding support functions. If a schema name is given then the operator family is created in the specified schema. Otherwise it is created in the current schema. Two operator families in the same schema can have the same name only if they are for different index methods. The user who defines an operator family becomes its owner. Presently, the creating user must be a superuser. (This restriction is made because an erroneous operator family definition could confuse or even crash the server.) Refer to Section 36.16 for further information.

CREATE_OPERATOR_FAMILY - define a new operator family

name The name of the operator family to be created. The name can be schema-qualified. index_method The name of the index method this operator family is for.

ALTER OPERATOR FAMILY (ALTER_OPERATOR_FAMILY(7)), DROP OPERATOR FAMILY (DROP_OPERATOR_FAMILY(7)), CREATE OPERATOR CLASS (CREATE_OPERATOR_CLASS(7)), ALTER OPERATOR CLASS (ALTER_OPERATOR_CLASS(7)), DROP OPERATOR CLASS (DROP_OPERATOR_CLASS(7)) PostgreSQL 17.5 2025 CREATEOPERATORFAMILY(7)

CREATE OPERATOR FAMILY name USING index_method