Re: COPY manual is ambiguous about column list

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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 +

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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>

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