CREATE_TEXT_SEARCH_TEMPLATE(7pg16)

💅 NAME 💅

CREATE_TEXT_SEARCH_TEMPLATE — bestie, it literally defines a brand new text search template ✨

So you're reading the PostgreSQL 16.15 Documentation page for this one, and honestly? It's giving "niche but iconic." Let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

CREATE TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE name (
    [ INIT = init_function , ]
    LEXIZE = lexize_function
)

That's the whole vibe. Look at it. Immaculate 🎀

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

Okay so CREATE TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE creates a new text search template. And what even is a template? Text search templates define the functions that implement text search dictionaries. But here's the tea ☕ — a template is not useful by itself, like at all. It's not the main character yet. You have to instantiate it as a dictionary to actually use it. And the dictionary typically specifies the parameters you're gonna hand to the template functions. iykyk 💅

If a schema name is given, the text search template gets created in that specified schema. Otherwise? It gets made in the current schema. Simple as that ✨

Now, the serious part — ngl, this matters:

You must be a superuser to use CREATE TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE. This restriction is made because an erroneous text search template definition could confuse or even crash the server 💀😭 fr fr.

And the reasoning behind separating templates from dictionaries? Genuinely kinda smart — a template encapsulates the "unsafe" aspects of defining a dictionary. The parameters that can be set when defining a dictionary are safe for unprivileged users to set, so creating a dictionary need not be a privileged operation. Slay for the privilege separation honestly 👑

Refer to Chapter 12 for further information (yes, that's where the lore lives 📖).

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🌈 PARAMETERS 🌈

• name — the name of the text search template to be created. The name can be schema-qualified. 👑
• init_function — the name of the init function for the template.
• lexize_function — the name of the lexize function for the template.

The function names can be schema-qualified if necessary. Argument types are not given, since the argument list for each type of function is predetermined (no guessing games here 🎀). The lexize function is required, but the init function is optional. So you can't skip LEXIZE, periodt.

Also important, bestie — the arguments can appear in any order, not only the one shown above. Freedom of expression ✨🦋

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🦋 COMPATIBILITY 🦋

There is no CREATE TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE statement in the SQL standard. So... yeah, this is a PostgreSQL-only moment 💅 not standard, but we love her anyway 💖

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🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

• ALTER TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE (ALTER_TEXT_SEARCH_TEMPLATE(7))
• DROP TEXT SEARCH TEMPLATE (DROP_TEXT_SEARCH_TEMPLATE(7))

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And that's the whole page, bestie 🫶 sign-off time: this was PostgreSQL 16.15, dated 2026 — go forth and template responsibly, mwah 💋🌸