What does psql meta do?

psql backslash commands \l, \dt, \d table, \x, \timing and more inside psql.

Is psql meta dangerous?

LOW risk. Read-only meta commands.

psql backslash commands

low risk

interactive breakdown — edit the command and press Explain

What it does

\l, \dt, \d table, \x, \timing and more inside psql.

Examples

psql -c "\l"List databases · explain & risk-check →

psql -c "\dt+"Tables and sizes · explain & risk-check →

Reference text is hand-written and may be incomplete — check man psql for your version. Test destructive commands on a non-production system first.