Re: COPY FROM file error: could not open file ... for reading: No such file or directory

On 4 June 2014 18:03, Ryszard Czermiński <ryszard(at)czerminski(dot)net> wrote:

> I am trying to import data from csv file to a table, but COPY command
> fails with "No such file or directory" error message - despite the fact
> that the file I am trying to read is definitely there. See below.
>
> Apparently (as a novice :) I am missing something - your help will be
> highly appreciated.
>
> Best regards,
> Ryszard
>
> $ more import_from_csv.sql
> CREATE TABLE addr
> (STREET varchar, CITY varchar, STATE char(2), ZIP char(10));
> COPY addr FROM 'addr.csv' DELIMITER ',' CSV;
> $ psql -U postgres -c 'drop table addr'
> DROP TABLE
> $ wc -l addr.csv
> 2 addr.csv
> $ psql -U postgres -f import_from_csv.sql
> CREATE TABLE
> *psql:import_from_csv.sql:3: ERROR: could not open file "addr.csv" for
> reading: No such file or directory*
> $ psql --version
> psql (PostgreSQL) 9.3.4
> $ cat /etc/lsb-release
> DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
> DISTRIB_RELEASE=14.04
> DISTRIB_CODENAME=trusty
> DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 14.04 LTS"
> $
>
>
Hi,
COPY is run by the Postgres server, and the path is relative to the server
path, or absolute, but on the server machine. If you want to use a path
from client, use \COPY, which is a psql's command.

COPY with a file name instructs the PostgreSQL server to directly read from
or write to a file. The file must be accessible to the server and the name
must be specified from the viewpoint of the server. When STDIN or STDOUT is
specified, data is transmitted via the connection between the client and
the server.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.2/static/sql-copy.html

Szymon