Thread: COPY FROM - force a value
Is there a way to force a value when you're doing a COPY FROM, importing a file into a table? Here's my query as it is now: COPY filetable (value1, value2, value3, value4, forcevalue1, forcevalue2) FROM 'C:\\InsertFiles\\thisfile.txt' WITH DELIMITER AS ' ' ; The file only contains data for values 1 through 4. I'd like to insert values for the last two fields. This is what I had in mind, which doesn't work: COPY filetable (value1, value2, value3, value4, forcevalue1, forcevalue2) FROM 'C:\\InsertFiles\\thisfile.txt' WITH DELIMITER AS ' ', forcevalue1 = 1, forcevalue2 = 'this value' ; TIA -Jeff This email is intended only for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This email may contain information thatis privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mailor any attachments by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for deliveringthe message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient of this message orthe employee or agent responsible for delivery of this email to the intended recipient, please notify the sender by replyingto this message and then delete it from your system. Any use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of thismessage by unintended recipients is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
Demel, Jeff wrote: > Is there a way to force a value when you're doing a COPY FROM, importing > a file into a table? > > Here's my query as it is now: > > COPY filetable (value1, value2, value3, value4, forcevalue1, > forcevalue2) > FROM 'C:\\InsertFiles\\thisfile.txt' > WITH DELIMITER AS ' ' > ; > > The file only contains data for values 1 through 4. I'd like to insert > values for the last two fields. This is what I had in mind, which > doesn't work: > > COPY filetable (value1, value2, value3, value4, forcevalue1, > forcevalue2) > FROM 'C:\\InsertFiles\\thisfile.txt' > WITH DELIMITER AS ' ', > forcevalue1 = 1, > forcevalue2 = 'this value' > ; I'd try setting a DEFAULT for those two columns using ALTER TABLE, then the COPY FROM call excluding those columns, then removing the DEFAULT. If you do it in a transaction block, no other transaction can be molested by the default values, though they will be blocked of the table during that transaction. -- Alvaro Herrera http://www.CommandPrompt.com/ The PostgreSQL Company - Command Prompt, Inc.
That works like a charm. Thanks, Alvaro! -Jeff -----Original Message----- From: Alvaro Herrera [mailto:alvherre@commandprompt.com] Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 1:22 PM To: Demel, Jeff Cc: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org Subject: Re: [SQL] COPY FROM - force a value Demel, Jeff wrote: > Is there a way to force a value when you're doing a COPY FROM, > importing a file into a table? > > Here's my query as it is now: > > COPY filetable (value1, value2, value3, value4, forcevalue1, > forcevalue2) > FROM 'C:\\InsertFiles\\thisfile.txt' > WITH DELIMITER AS ' ' > ; > > The file only contains data for values 1 through 4. I'd like to > insert values for the last two fields. This is what I had in mind, > which doesn't work: > > COPY filetable (value1, value2, value3, value4, forcevalue1, > forcevalue2) > FROM 'C:\\InsertFiles\\thisfile.txt' > WITH DELIMITER AS ' ', > forcevalue1 = 1, > forcevalue2 = 'this value' > ; I'd try setting a DEFAULT for those two columns using ALTER TABLE, then the COPY FROM call excluding those columns, then removing the DEFAULT. If you do it in a transaction block, no other transaction can be molested by the default values, though they will be blocked of the table during that transaction. -- Alvaro Herrera http://www.CommandPrompt.com/ The PostgreSQL Company - Command Prompt, Inc. This email is intended only for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This email may contain information thatis privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mailor any attachments by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for deliveringthe message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient of this message orthe employee or agent responsible for delivery of this email to the intended recipient, please notify the sender by replyingto this message and then delete it from your system. Any use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of thismessage by unintended recipients is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.