This is a PostgreSQL Extension which helps page inspection with contrib/pageinspect. It works in PostgreSQL 10 to 17 version.
db1=# \d public.t1
Table "public.t1"
Column | Type | Collation | Nullable | Default
--------+-----------------------------+-----------+----------+---------
id | integer | | |
txt | text | | |
ts | timestamp without time zone | | |
bool | boolean | | |
i8 | bigint | | |
db1=# SELECT * FROM public.t1;
id | txt | ts | bool | i8
-----+-------+---------------------+------+--------------
100 | ABCDE | 2020-08-01 12:00:00 | t | 98765432
101 | abcde | 2025-08-01 12:00:00 | f | 554433221100
(2 rows)
db1=# SELECT *, tuple_data_split('public.t1'::regclass, t_data, t_infomask, t_infomask2, t_bits) FROM heap_page_items(get_raw_page('public.t1', 0));
lp | lp_off | lp_flags | lp_len | t_xmin | t_xmax | t_field3 | t_ctid | t_infomask2 | t_infomask | t_hoff | t_bits | t_oid | t_data | tuple_data_split
----+--------+----------+--------+--------+--------+----------+--------+-------------+------------+--------+--------+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 8128 | 1 | 64 | 501 | 0 | 0 | (0,1) | 5 | 11010 | 24 | | | \x640000000d414243444500000000000000f0e069ce4e02000100000000000000780ae30500000000 | {"\\x64000000","\\x0d4142434445","\\x00f0e069ce4e0200","\\x01","\\x780ae30500000000"}
2 | 8064 | 1 | 64 | 502 | 0 | 0 | (0,2) | 5 | 11010 | 24 | | | \x650000000d616263646500000000000000b01b444bde02000000000000000000ec91cb1681000000 | {"\\x65000000","\\x0d6162636465","\\x00b01b444bde0200","\\x00","\\xec91cb1681000000"}
(2 rows)
db1=# SELECT *, tuple_data_parse('public.t1'::regclass, tuple_data_split('public.t1'::regclass, t_data, t_infomask, t_infomask2, t_bits)) FROM heap_page_items(get_raw_page('public.t1', 0));
lp | lp_off | lp_flags | lp_len | t_xmin | t_xmax | t_field3 | t_ctid | t_infomask2 | t_infomask | t_hoff | t_bits | t_oid | t_data | tuple_data_parse
----+--------+----------+--------+--------+--------+----------+--------+-------------+------------+--------+--------+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------
1 | 8128 | 1 | 64 | 501 | 0 | 0 | (0,1) | 5 | 11010 | 24 | | | \x640000000d414243444500000000000000f0e069ce4e02000100000000000000780ae30500000000 | {100,ABCDE,"2020-08-01 12:00:00",true,98765432}
2 | 8064 | 1 | 64 | 502 | 0 | 0 | (0,2) | 5 | 11010 | 24 | | | \x650000000d616263646500000000000000b01b444bde02000000000000000000ec91cb1681000000 | {101,abcde,"2025-08-01 12:00:00",false,554433221100}
(2 rows)
db1=# \d public.t2
Table "public.t2"
Column | Type | Collation | Nullable | Default
--------+-----------------------------+-----------+----------+---------
c1 | character varying(5) | | |
c2 | character(5) | | |
tstz | timestamp(3) with time zone | | |
f1 | real | | |
df1 | double precision | | |
h1 | json | | |
iv | interval | | |
db1=# SELECT * FROM t2;
c1 | c2 | tstz | f1 | df1 | h1 | iv
-----+-------+----------------------------+-------+------------+---------------+-----------
xxx | XXX | 2020-08-02 21:19:00.698+09 | 1.234 | 9.87654321 | ["a","b","c"] | 100:00:00
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT *, tuple_data_split('public.t2'::regclass, t_data, t_infomask, t_infomask2, t_bits) FROM heap_page_items(get_raw_page('public.t2', 0));
lp | lp_off | lp_flags | lp_len | t_xmin | t_xmax | t_field3 | t_ctid | t_infomask2 | t_infomask | t_hoff | t_bits | t_oid | t_data | tuple_data_split
----+--------+----------+--------+--------+--------+----------+--------+-------------+------------+--------+--------+-------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 8096 | 1 | 96 | 541 | 0 | 0 | (0,1) | 7 | 11010 | 24 | | | \x097878780d585858202000000000000090fbb5cbe24e0200b6f39d3f0000000033f68845cac023401d5b2261222c2262222c2263225d00000010acd1530000000000000000000000 | {"\\x09787878","\\x0d5858582020","\\x90fbb5cbe24e0200","\\xb6f39d3f","\\x33f68845cac02340","\\x1d5b2261222c2262222c2263225d","\\x0010acd1530000000000000000000000"}
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT bytea2text('\x0d5858582020');
bytea2text
------------
XXX
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT bytea2timestamptz('\x90fbb5cbe24e0200');
bytea2timestamptz
----------------------------
2020-08-02 21:19:00.698+09
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT bytea2float4('\xb6f39d3f');
bytea2float4
--------------
1.234
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT bytea2float8('\x33f68845cac02340');
bytea2float8
--------------
9.87654321
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT bytea2text('\x1d5b2261222c2262222c2263225d');
bytea2text
---------------
["a","b","c"]
(1 row)
db1=# SELECT bytea2interval('\x0010acd1530000000000000000000000');
bytea2interval
----------------
100:00:00
(1 row)
| function | return |
|---|---|
| bytea2timestamp(dat bytea) | timestamp |
| bytea2timestamptz(dat bytea) | timestamptz |
| bytea2interval(dat bytea) | interval |
| bytea2int(dat bytea) | int4 |
| bytea2bigint(dat bytea) | int8 |
| bytea2boolean(dat bytea) | boolean |
| bytea2text(dat bytea) | text |
| bytea2float4(dat bytea) | float4 |
| bytea2float8(dat bytea) | float8 |
| tuple_data_parse(rel_oid oid, tuple_data bytea[]) | text[] |
bytea2text can also be used for char, varchar and json type.