BUG #18203: Logical Replication initial sync failure - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference:      18203
Logged by:          Justin G
Email address:      zzzzz.graf@gmail.com
PostgreSQL version: 15.2
Operating system:   Ubuntu 20
Description:

We’ve found an edge case that breaks logical replication.

Procedure:

alter system set wal_level to 'logical' ;

create database source;  --pg 11
create database destin; --pg 15

create table no_col(); -- pg 11

insert into no_col default values;
insert into no_col default values;
insert into no_col default values;
insert into no_col default values;
insert into no_col default values;

CREATE PUBLICATION no_col_pub for table no_col;

create table no_col(); --pg 15

CREATE SUBSCRIPTION no_col_sub --pg15
    CONNECTION
        'host=<hostname/ip>
        port=5432
        user=<set username>
        dbname=source
        password=<set the password>'                
    PUBLICATION no_col_pub
    WITH (
        CREATE_SLOT    = TRUE,
        ENABLED        = TRUE,
        COPY_DATA    = TRUE
        );


We now have a table with 5 null rows. This is a valid table, pg_dump will
dump it and restore it. count(*) will return 5.

The dump file produced by pg_dump version 15 generates this SQL
COPY public.no_col  FROM stdin;

However, the copy command from PG 15 using logical replication includes (),
which normally has a list of columns between the parentheses. 

COPY public.no_col () TO STDOUT

Logical replication worker returns with the following error: 
2023-11-17 20:40:16.141 UTC [151084] ERROR:  could not start initial
contents copy for table "public.no_col": ERROR:  syntax error at or near
")"
    LINE 1: COPY public.no_col () TO STDOUT

If the direction of replication is reversed from PG15 to PG14, the above
error is not thrown, and the 5 rows are copied over. 

Version tested
Publishers  PG 11.14, 14.2, 15.2
Subscriber PG 14.2, 15.2, , RDS 14.7  
The error has been observed in 15.2 and in RDS PostgreSQL 14.7.