The pgdump utility is used to create backups of a PostgreSQL database. To back up a specific schema, including its structure and data, the -n or --schema option is used. Both options are equivalent; -n is the short form, and --schema is the long form for the same functionality. They instruct pgdump to dump only the schema(s) matching the provided pattern, along with all of their contained objects and data. Therefore, both pgdump -n edbuser and pgdump --schema edbuser will correctly back up only the edbuser schema.

A. -s edbuser: The -s option (or --schema-only) dumps only the object definitions (DDL) for the entire database, not the data. It does not select a specific schema by name.

1. PostgreSQL 16 Documentation, pgdump:

Section: Options, Dumping Options

Content: Describes the -n schema and --schema=schema options: "Dump only schemas matching schema; this selects both the schema itself, and all its contained objects." It also describes the -s or --schema-only option: "Dump only the object definitions (schema), not data." This confirms that -n and --schema are the correct options for the user's requirement and that -s is incorrect.

Reference: PostgreSQL Documentation. (2023). pgdump. Retrieved from https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-pgdump.html

2. PostgreSQL 14 Documentation, pgdump:

Section: Reference, PostgreSQL Client Applications, pgdump

Content: The documentation for this earlier but still widely used version provides the same definitions for the options: -n, --schema=PATTERN to "dump only schemas matching PATTERN" and -s, --schema-only to "dump only the object definitions, not data." This demonstrates the long-standing consistency of these command-line options.

Reference: PostgreSQL Documentation. (2021). pgdump. Retrieved from https://www.postgresql.org/docs/14/app-pgdump.html