Q: How to import a CSV file with tabs as delimiters using pgfutter?

Use the -d flag with $'\t' to specify tab delimiter, ensuring the shell passes it correctly. For example: pgfutter csv -d $'\t' file.csv, as documented in the README for custom delimiters.

Question 1

How to import a CSV file with tabs as delimiters using pgfutter?

Accepted Answer

Use the -d flag with $'	' to specify tab delimiter, ensuring the shell passes it correctly. For example: pgfutter csv -d $'	' file.csv, as documented in the README for custom delimiters.

Question 2

pgfutter or pgloader: which is better for my data import needs?

Accepted Answer

pgfutter is ideal for quick, simple imports with automatic table generation, while pgloader handles more complex scenarios like data transformations, multiple formats, and advanced error handling. Choose pgfutter for straightforward tasks and pgloader for sophisticated pipelines.

Question 3

Can pgfutter handle Excel files directly?

Accepted Answer

No, pgfutter does not support Excel files natively. You must convert Excel files to CSV or line-delimited JSON format first, as it only processes RFC 4180 CSV and JSON files.

Question 4

What happens if my JSON file has nested objects in pgfutter?

Accepted Answer

pgfutter imports each line as a single JSON object stored in a data column. Nested objects are preserved within that JSON, but you'll need to use PostgreSQL JSON functions to extract and normalize the data after import.

Question 5

How to specify a custom schema for imported tables in pgfutter?

Accepted Answer

Use the --table flag to set a custom table name, but schema changes are limited; you can set the DB_SCHEMA environment variable to import into a different schema, though auto-generated tables might not align with complex predefined schemas.

Question 6

Does pgfutter support importing data from URLs or streams?

Accepted Answer

No, pgfutter only works with local files. For remote data, you need to download the file first or use other tools to pipe data, as it doesn't have built-in support for URLs or stdin streaming.

Question 7

Is pgfutter suitable for importing very large CSV files?

Accepted Answer

Yes, due to the COPY protocol, it handles large files efficiently. However, error handling with --ignore-errors can help manage invalid rows, but memory usage might be a concern for extremely large datasets without chunking.

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