snippetsqlModerate

How to create column in DB with default value random string

Submitted by: @import:stackexchange-dba·Mar 10, 2026·

Viewed 0 times

randomcreatecolumnwithvaluedefaulthowstring

Problem

Can I create column in DB table (PostgreSQL) which have default value random string, and how ?

If is not possible, please let me know that.

Solution

PostgreSQL example:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_random_text(
    length integer
)
RETURNS text AS
$body$
WITH chars AS (
    SELECT unnest(string_to_array('A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9', ' ')) AS _char
),
charlist AS
(
    SELECT _char FROM chars ORDER BY random() LIMIT $1
)
SELECT string_agg(_char, '')
FROM charlist
;
$body$
LANGUAGE sql;

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS tmp_test;

CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE tmp_test (
    id serial,
    data text default f_random_text(12)
);

INSERT INTO tmp_test
VALUES 
    (DEFAULT, DEFAULT),
    (DEFAULT, DEFAULT)
;

SELECT * FROM tmp_test;

 id |     data
----+--------------
  1 | RYMUJH4E0NIQ
  2 | 7U4029BOKAEJ
(2 rows)

Apparently you can do this. (Of course, you can add other characters as well, or use other random string generator as well - like this, for example.)

Code Snippets

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_random_text(
    length integer
)
RETURNS text AS
$body$
WITH chars AS (
    SELECT unnest(string_to_array('A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9', ' ')) AS _char
),
charlist AS
(
    SELECT _char FROM chars ORDER BY random() LIMIT $1
)
SELECT string_agg(_char, '')
FROM charlist
;
$body$
LANGUAGE sql;


DROP TABLE IF EXISTS tmp_test;


CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE tmp_test (
    id serial,
    data text default f_random_text(12)
);


INSERT INTO tmp_test
VALUES 
    (DEFAULT, DEFAULT),
    (DEFAULT, DEFAULT)
;


SELECT * FROM tmp_test;

 id |     data
----+--------------
  1 | RYMUJH4E0NIQ
  2 | 7U4029BOKAEJ
(2 rows)

Context

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#19632, answer score: 12

Revisions (0)

No revisions yet.