Re: [PATCHES] CSV patch applied

Andrew Dunstan wrote:
> Bruce and I tossed this around quite a bit.
> 
> The problem is that using QUOTE or NULL in these phrases might look 
> confusing, e.g.
>    COPY mytable TO 'mytable.csv' CSV QUOTE '"' FORCE QUOTE field1,field2;
>    COPY mytable FROM 'mytable.csv' NULL '' CSV NO NULL CHECK field1,field2;
> 
> I also don't think NO NULL CHECK actually matches the use case for this 
> very well (and I'm dubious about LITERAL too).  They both describe the 
> actual behaviour, but not what you are trying to achieve. Essentially, 
> this would be used when you have a field with a NOT NULL constraint, but 
> the input CSV data stream has what would otherwise be considered nulls. 
> (COPY itself will never produce such a CSV, as non-null values that 
> resemble null are always quoted, but third party programs well might.) 
> So an alternative might be FORCE NOT NULL, but for the previous 
> consideration. Perhaps use of an optional preposition might make things 
> slightly clearer, e.g.:
> 
>    COPY mytable TO 'mytable.csv' CSV QUOTE '"' FORCE QUOTE  IN 
> field1,field2;
>    COPY mytable FROM 'mytable.csv' NULL '' CSV FORCE NOT NULL IN 
> field1,field2;
> 
> But it does start to look a little too much like COBOL :-).

Yea, and as I remember, that COBOL word scared us off.  :-)

--  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610)
359-1001+  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania19073