From 48cbed8821120b378e22be1f0d3cfcf61ef0d1e4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us>
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2020 19:20:15 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] doc: clarify COPY TO for partitioning/inheritance
It was not clear how COPY TO behaved with partitioning/inheritance
because the paragraphs were so far apart. Also reword to simplify.
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/20201203211723.GR24052@telsasoft.com
Author: Justin Pryzby
Backpatch-through: 10
---
doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml | 24 ++++++++++--------------
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
index 2536a8951c..7c5421268d 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/copy.sgml
@@ -396,10 +396,16 @@ COPY <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable>
<title>Notes</title>
<para>
- <command>COPY TO</command> can only be used with plain tables, not
- with views. However, you can write <literal>COPY (SELECT * FROM
- <replaceable class="parameter">viewname</replaceable>) TO ...</literal>
- to copy the current contents of a view.
+ <command>COPY TO</command> can be used only with plain
+ tables, not views, and does not copy rows from child tables
+ or child partitions. For example, <literal>COPY <replaceable
+ class="parameter">table</replaceable> TO</literal> copies
+ the same rows as <literal>SELECT * FROM ONLY <replaceable
+ class="parameter">table</replaceable></literal>.
+ The syntax <literal>COPY (SELECT * FROM <replaceable
+ class="parameter">table</replaceable>) TO ...</literal> can be used to
+ dump all of the rows in an inheritance hierarchy, partitioned table,
+ or view.
</para>
<para>
@@ -408,16 +414,6 @@ COPY <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable>
<literal>INSTEAD OF INSERT</literal> triggers.
</para>
- <para>
- <command>COPY</command> only deals with the specific table named;
- it does not copy data to or from child tables. Thus for example
- <literal>COPY <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable> TO</literal>
- shows the same data as <literal>SELECT * FROM ONLY <replaceable
- class="parameter">table</replaceable></literal>. But <literal>COPY
- (SELECT * FROM <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable>) TO ...</literal>
- can be used to dump all of the data in an inheritance hierarchy.
- </para>
-
<para>
You must have select privilege on the table
whose values are read by <command>COPY TO</command>, and