[postgis-users] Any other way to use alias headers for fields?

[Andy Colson]

On 3/26/2012 4:32 AM, Robert Buckley wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I was just wondering if there is any other way in postgresql in which I
> could assign alias names to columns other than creating views and
> assigning the field names with the "AS" operator?
>
> I have shapefiles with column names which have cryptic titles. When I
> upload them into postgis and serve them in my viewer application, the
> original "cryptic" column names will be displayed. It would be nice to
> change them for the use in the viewer application but have the original
> names retained also to ensure that updates to the data can be done easier.
>
> yours,
>
> Rob
>
>
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After import you could rename them if you want.

alter table x rename badname to newname;

How are you serving them?  If you can write/modify the sql (as with 
mapserver) you can do something like:

select badname as newname from x where newname = 'bob';

Why don't you like the view?  I don't think you need the AS either. 
This should work:

create view newx(newname) as select badname from x;



-Andy