On Thu, Dec 19, 2019 at 10:33:48PM -0700, David G. Johnston wrote:
> On Thursday, December 19, 2019, Tom Lane <t...@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:
>
> "David G. Johnston" <david.g.johns...@gmail.com> 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 <br...@momjian.us> 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 +
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>
