I am learning to use PostgreSQL and the psql command line tools.

In the tutorial, you import a large CSV file into an existing table.

The tutoral says to use:

COPY master_plan FROM '[PATH TO DIRECTORY]/master_plan.csv' WITH DELIMITER ',' HEADER CSV;

I filled in the PATH with the correct path information but it wouldn't import the data stating:

ERROR: could not open file "[PATH TO DIRECTORY]master_plan.csv" for reading: Permission denied

Doing a search for this suggested a couple of fixes:

1. Open up your entire "\home\<you>" to the world (Not gonna happen)

2. Move the file to the "\tmp" directory (Tried, didn't work)

3. Don't use the "COPY" command, use the "\\copy" command. (This worked!)

But...

I am using a Makefile to run the script so I had to change the target from :

import: master

@echo "COPY import.master_plan FROM $(CSV) WITH DELIMITER ',' HEADER CSV;" >> $(BUILD)

to:

import: master

@echo "\\copy import.master_plan FROM $(CSV) WITH DELIMITER ',' HEADER CSV;" >> $(BUILD)

And yes, there are two backslashes before the word "copy".