public inbox for [email protected]  
help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Bruce Momjian <[email protected]>
To: Pavlo Golub <[email protected]>
Cc: Laurenz Albe <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: COPY manual is ambiguous about column list
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:53:40 -0500
Message-ID: <[email protected]> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAMtUEpBmq3Mefkyh=RmkC4Fuqq+YtbUrr_nHnzxUwEbwm+CPfg@mail.gmail.com>
References: <[email protected]>
	<[email protected]>
	<CAMtUEpBmq3Mefkyh=RmkC4Fuqq+YtbUrr_nHnzxUwEbwm+CPfg@mail.gmail.com>

On Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 02:53:03PM +0100, Pavlo Golub wrote:
> On Thu, 28 Nov 2019 at 10:47, Laurenz Albe <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > On Wed, 2019-11-27 at 17:54 +0000, PG Doc comments form wrote:
> > > "If a list of columns is specified, COPY will only copy the data in the
> > > specified columns to or from the file. If there are any columns in the table
> > > that are not in the column list, COPY FROM will insert the default values
> > > for those columns."
> > >
> > > I clearly see "to or from" file here. But if one tries to COPY FROM filename
> > > with more columns than list specified, the process fails:
> >
> > I think you misunderstood the documentation.
> 
> Yeap, I did. Even two of us. Laetitia was helping me :)
> 
> >
> > Nowhere in that sentence is the documentation talking about columns in
> > the file, only columns in the table.
> >
> > But if you got it wrong, maybe a clarification would be a good idea.
> 
> I think it better to have more details to avoid confusion.

How is the attached patch?

-- 
  Bruce Momjian  <[email protected]>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

+ As you are, so once was I.  As I am, so you will be. +
+                      Ancient Roman grave inscription +


Attachments:

  [text/x-diff] copy.diff (1.0K, 2-copy.diff)
  download | inline diff:
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
new file mode 100644
index d9b7c4d..475d40c
*** a/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
--- b/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
*************** COPY { <replaceable class="parameter">ta
*** 63,71 ****
    <para>
     If a list of columns is specified, <command>COPY</command> will
     only copy the data in the specified columns to or from the file.
!    If there are any columns in the table that are not in the column list,
!    <command>COPY FROM</command> will insert the default values for
!    those columns.
    </para>
  
    <para>
--- 63,72 ----
    <para>
     If a list of columns is specified, <command>COPY</command> will
     only copy the data in the specified columns to or from the file.
!    In <command>COPY FROM</command>, the number of columns specified
!    must match the number of fields in the file;  any table columns not
!    specified in the <command>COPY FROM</command> column list will insert
!    their default values.
    </para>
  
    <para>


view thread (16+ messages)  latest in thread

reply

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Reply to all the recipients using the --to and --cc options:
  reply via email

  To: [email protected]
  Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
  Subject: Re: COPY manual is ambiguous about column list
  In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

This inbox is served by agora; see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox