Answer
SERIAL creates an auto-incrementing integer column using sequences that automatically generate unique values.
Quick Answer
SERIAL is a shorthand for creating an auto-incrementing integer column. SERIAL creates an INTEGER with a sequence. BIGSERIAL for BIGINT. Modern PostgreSQL prefers: id BIGINT GENERATED ALWAYS AS IDENTITY which is SQL-standard. Both create a sequence that provides the next value on each insert. Use BIGINT/BIGSERIAL for tables that might grow large to avoid integer overflow.
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SugharaIQ Editorial Team
Verified Answer
This answer has been peer-reviewed by industry experts holding senior engineering roles to ensure technical accuracy and relevance for modern interview standards.
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Source: SugharaIQ