Hi

How do I write my psql command line if I want the output to be tab
separated?

If I use psql interactively, I would go

#psql name_of_db

name_of_db =# \a
name_of_db =# \f '\t'
name_of_db =# \o outputfile.txt
name_of_db =# \i queryfile.sql

This produces nice tab separated output that I can open in Excel and
that is recognised as such.

I understand that my command line should look like this:

psql -A -F something_to_produce_a_tab -f queryfile.sql -o
outputfile.txt name_of_db

But obviously I am struggling to get the string for
something_to_produce_a_tab right. I tried '\t' of course and many
variants of it, but I always ending up inserting the string literally
(more or less).

Can somebody please help? I am on FreeBSD, using the bash shell and
PostgreSQL 8.1.2.

Thanks

DR

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On Tue, 9 May 2006 00:28:45 +0100
David <davidr@talamh.org.uk> wrote:

> Hi
>
> How do I write my psql command line if I want the output to be tab
> separated?
>
> If I use psql interactively, I would go
>
> #psql name_of_db
>
> name_of_db =# \a
> name_of_db =# \f '\t'
> name_of_db =# \o outputfile.txt
> name_of_db =# \i queryfile.sql
>
> This produces nice tab separated output that I can open in Excel and
> that is recognised as such.
>
> I understand that my command line should look like this:
>
> psql -A -F something_to_produce_a_tab -f queryfile.sql -o
> outputfile.txt name_of_db
>
> But obviously I am struggling to get the string for
> something_to_produce_a_tab right. I tried '\t' of course and many
> variants of it, but I always ending up inserting the string
> literally (more or less).
>
> Can somebody please help? I am on FreeBSD, using the bash shell and
> PostgreSQL 8.1.2.
>
> Thanks
>
> DR
>
> ---------------------------(end of
> broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 9: In versions below 8.0,
> the planner will ignore your desire to choose an index scan if your
> joining column's datatypes do not match

David,

Try using \pset fieldsep ’\t’ instead of the -F switch.

John Purser

--
.... A solemn, unsmiling, sanctimonious old iceberg who looked like he
was waiting for a vacancy in the Trinity.
-- Mark Twain

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