Re: FW: [SQL] Errors loading null dates in 7.0beta1

Colin Rothnie <colinr@tiwest.com.au> writes:
> I am copying data from a tab delimited text file using the psql command 
> test=> \copy collar from collar.txt;
> where the table "collar" contains a date field (not set to "NOT NULL") and
> the text file contains date fields for some records and nothing between two
> tabs for records without date data.

The approved way to represent nulls in copy data is "\N", not just an
empty string.  This is the same for all data types.

> The same table structure and load file
> were used successfully with 6.5.3

Really?  I tried it and got

play=> \copy collar from collar.txt
ERROR:  Bad date external representation ''
PQendcopy: resetting connection
Copy failed.

which is what I'd expect.

> Looking at it again now, I am also uncertain whether "date" is an allowable
> field name (PostrgreSQL didn't object).

We allow it, but the SQL92 spec lists DATE as a <reserved word>, so it's
possible that some other DBMSes would complain.
        regards, tom lane