Re: raw output from copy

On 07/02/2015 11:02 AM, Tom Lane wrote:
> Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net> writes:
>> Does the COPY line protocol even support binary data?
> The protocol, per se, just transmits a byte stream.  There is a field
> in the CopyInResponse/CopyOutResponse messages that indicates whether
> a text or binary copy is being done.  One thing we'd have to consider
> is whether "raw" mode is sufficiently different from binary to justify
> an additional value for this field, and if so whether that constitutes
> a protocol break.
>
> IIRC, psql wouldn't really care; it just transfers the byte stream to or
> from the target file, regardless of text or binary mode.  But there might
> be other client libraries that are smarter and expect "binary" mode to
> mean the binary file format specified in the COPY reference page.  So
> there may be value in being explicit about "raw" mode in these messages.
>
> A key point in all this is that people who need "raw" transfer probably
> need it in both directions, a point that your SELECT proposal cannot
> satisfy, but hacking COPY could.  So I lean towards the latter really.
>
>             


OK, let's do that. I await the result with interest.

cheers

andrew