PostGISGeometry Input
ST_PointFromWKB
What is ST_PointFromWKB?
ST_PointFromWKB parses a WKB byte string and returns a POINT geometry. Non-Point WKB raises an error.
SQL
1ST_PointFromWKB(bytea wkb) → geometry
2ST_PointFromWKB(bytea wkb, integer srid) → geometryWhen would you use ST_PointFromWKB?
Use ST_PointFromWKB in typed ingest streams for Points — GPS coordinates, geocoded addresses, sensor readings. It validates that each binary row really is a Point, failing fast on schema drift.
For building points from numeric X/Y, prefer ST_MakePoint since it avoids binary parsing overhead.
FAQs
What if the WKB is a MultiPoint?
An error. Use ST_GeomFromWKB for polymorphic inputs, or ST_MPointFromWKB for MultiPoints.
Is SRID required?
No. Without an explicit SRID argument or embedded EWKB SRID, the result is SRID 0.
Is it faster than ST_PointFromText?
Yes. Binary parsing avoids text tokenising and float conversion overhead.
What Z/M ordinates are preserved?
All — if the WKB encodes Z or M ordinates, they are preserved in the output.
