public inbox for [email protected]  
help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Bruce Momjian <[email protected]>
To: David G. Johnston <[email protected]>
Cc: Tom Lane <[email protected]>
Cc: Pavlo Golub <[email protected]>
Cc: Laurenz Albe <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: COPY manual is ambiguous about column list
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 08:45:41 -0500
Message-ID: <[email protected]> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAKFQuwYHOpSfBcyX33Avt3ncrDsu6pxb-LXTm0SA+-nGWVSbhQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <[email protected]>
	<[email protected]>
	<CAMtUEpBmq3Mefkyh=RmkC4Fuqq+YtbUrr_nHnzxUwEbwm+CPfg@mail.gmail.com>
	<[email protected]>
	<[email protected]>
	<CAKFQuwaxE-m5VKQkOapv+3kMnP2Q9hEb0NbGeBfqkQuX3UmVgQ@mail.gmail.com>
	<[email protected]>
	<CAKFQuwYHOpSfBcyX33Avt3ncrDsu6pxb-LXTm0SA+-nGWVSbhQ@mail.gmail.com>

On Thu, Dec 19, 2019 at 10:33:48PM -0700, David G. Johnston wrote:
> On Thursday, December 19, 2019, Tom Lane <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>     "David G. Johnston" <[email protected]> writes:
>     > Seems better to simply talk about each form independently:
> 
>     > If a list of columns is specified, <command>COPY TO</command> will only
>     > copy the data in the specified columns to the file.  <command>COPY
>     > FROM</command> will, by position (i.e., the number of columns listed must
>     > match the number of columns in the file), match each file column to the
>     > named column in the table.  Any additional columns present in the table
>     > will receive their default value.
> 
>     +1 for separating it like that, but your middle sentence reads awkwardly
>     to me.  How about something like
> 
>       <command>COPY FROM</command> will match each listed column in the table
>       to a file column by position (so the number of columns listed must match
>       the number of columns in the file).
> 
>                       
> 
> 
> +1

OK, how is this?

-- 
  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..cf19706
*** a/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
--- b/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
*************** COPY { <replaceable class="parameter">ta
*** 61,71 ****
    </para>
  
    <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>
--- 61,72 ----
    </para>
  
    <para>
!    If a column list is specified, <command>COPY TO</command> copies only
!    the data in the specified columns to the file.  If a column list is
!    specified in <command>COPY FROM</command>, the number and position of
!    the columns must match those fields in the file.  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], [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