COPY allows rapid loading and unloading of user tables. This command can write the contents of a table to an ASCII file or load a table from an ASCII file. These files can be used for backup purposes or to transfer data between POSTGRESQL and other applications.
The first section of this chapter describes the use of COPY to unload and load database tables. The next part of the chapter shows how to use COPY to share data with other applications. The final section contains tips for using COPY.