a very naive question about table names in Postgres

I have a very naïve question and don’t know where tp look for the answer. I use Postgres via AquaData Studio as a giant spreadsheet. I create tables and give them names. I see the table names and know how to manipulate them with simple SQL queries.

I know that on my Mac the tables are kept in the data directory /Users/martinmueller/Library/Application Support/Postgres/var-13. If I go there I see that internally the tables have numbers. Somewhere in the system there must be a table that maps the name I gave to table X to the numerical inside the database.

Where is that mapping and how can I query it? On what page of the documentation do I find the answer?

I much prefer Postgres to Mysql for a variety of reasons, but mostly for its elegant string functions. But in Mysql it seems to be much easier to keep track of tables.

Martin Mueller
Professor emeritus of English and Classics
Northwestern University