The psql help for copy (version=7.3.2 and several others) appears 
incorrect (or perhaps the command parser is at fault - in any case 
the help doesn't match reality):

steve=# \h copy
Command:     COPY
Description: copy data between files and tables
Syntax:
COPY table [ ( column [, ...] ) ]
    FROM { 'filename' | stdin }
    [ [ WITH ]
          [ BINARY ]
          [ OIDS ]
          [ DELIMITER [ AS ] 'delimiter' ]
          [ NULL [ AS ] 'null string' ] ]
...

I interpret this as meaning that you can optionally specify a 
delimiter, null etc. and if you do then you can optionally include 
the "with" and the "as" for readability. While I can omit the "as" I 
cannot omit the "with":

Works with both:
steve=# \copy foo from 'footest' with delimiter as ','
\.

Works with "with" only:
steve=# \copy foo from 'footest' with delimiter ','
\.

Does not work without "with"
steve=# \copy foo from 'footest' delimiter ','
\copy: parse error at 'delimiter'
steve=# \copy foo from 'footest' delimiter as ','
\copy: parse error at 'delimiter'

As such it seems that the help should be:
COPY table [ ( column [, ...] ) ]
    FROM { 'filename' | stdin }
    [ WITH 
          [ BINARY ]
          [ OIDS ]
          [ DELIMITER [ AS ] 'delimiter' ]
          [ NULL [ AS ] 'null string' ] ]
...

Cheers,
Steve


Tue, 28 Oct 2003 14:14:02 -0700
Steve Crawford <scrawford@pinpointresearch.com>
psql copy help
Steve Crawford <scrawford@pinpointresearch.com> writes:
> The psql help for copy (version=7.3.2 and several others) appears 
> incorrect (or perhaps the command parser is at fault - in any case 
> the help doesn't match reality):

You seem to be confusing the SQL command COPY with the psql command \copy.
They are not the same.

Possibly we should try to converge \copy's syntax with COPY's a little
better... I'm not sure they could be made exactly alike though.

			regards, tom lane

Tue, 28 Oct 2003 16:26:40 -0500
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Re: psql copy help 