How to import a.csv file into a postgresql database using \copy?

Question

I am trying to import a .csv file into a postgresql database. I am using pgadmin III for that on a win7 machine.

My query looks like that:

\COPY pop_grid(GRID_ID, POP_TOT, YEAR, METHD_CL, CNTR_CODE, DATA_SRC) from 'C:\...\popgrid.csv' DELIMITERS ',' CSV;

The data inside the .csv looks like that:

1kmN5142E2862   2   2006    D   IS  AIT
1kmN5141E2862   13  2006    D   IS  AIT

My table:

CREATE TABLE pop_grid 
(
    GRID_ID      text            PRIMARY KEY,
    POP_TOT      int         NOT NULL,
    YEAR         date        NOT NULL,
    METHD_CL     varchar(2)      NOT NULL,
    CNTR_CODE    varchar(32)     NOT NULL,
    DATA_SRC     varchar(4)      NOT NULL
);

Why do I get this error?

ERROR: Missing data for column "pop_tot"
CONTEXT: COPY pop_grid, Row 1: "1kmN5142E2862;2;2006;D;IS;AIT"

There is nothing missing?

Answer 1

You tell the COPY command to look for commas as delimiters (DELIMITERS ','), but there are no commas in your CSV. Use the 'text' format instead (it's the default, so you don't have to specify it) and do not specify a delimiter:

The default is a tab character in text format.

(source)