Re: COPY manual is ambiguous about column list

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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

David J.

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On Thursday, December 19, 2019, Tom Lane &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected].=
pa.us">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote=
" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">&=
quot;David G. Johnston&quot; &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]=
om">[email protected]</a>&gt; writes:<br>
&gt; Seems better to simply talk about each form independently:<br>
<br>
&gt; If a list of columns is specified, &lt;command&gt;COPY TO&lt;/command&=
gt; will only<br>
&gt; copy the data in the specified columns to the file.=C2=A0 &lt;command&=
gt;COPY<br>
&gt; FROM&lt;/command&gt; will, by position (i.e., the number of columns li=
sted must<br>
&gt; match the number of columns in the file), match each file column to th=
e<br>
&gt; named column in the table.=C2=A0 Any additional columns present in the=
 table<br>
&gt; will receive their default value.<br>
<br>
+1 for separating it like that, but your middle sentence reads awkwardly<br=
>
to me.=C2=A0 How about something like<br>
<br>
=C2=A0 &lt;command&gt;COPY FROM&lt;/command&gt; will match each listed colu=
mn in the table<br>
=C2=A0 to a file column by position (so the number of columns listed must m=
atch<br>
=C2=A0 the number of columns in the file).<br>
<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0<br=
>
</blockquote><div><br></div><div>+1</div><div><br></div><div>David J.</div>=
<div>=C2=A0</div>

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