<para>

Do not confuse <command>COPY</command> with the

<application>psql</application> instruction

<command>\copy</command>. <command>\copy</command> invokes

<command><link linkend="APP-PSQL-meta-commands-copy">\copy</link></command>. <command>\copy</command> invokes

<command>COPY FROM STDIN</command> or <command>COPY TO

STDOUT</command>, and then fetches/stores the data in a file

accessible to the <application>psql</application> client. Thus,

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<varlistentry id="APP-PSQL-meta-commands-copy">

<term><literal>\copy { <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable> [ ( <replaceable class="parameter">column_list</replaceable> ) ] | ( <replaceable class="parameter">query</replaceable> ) }

{ <literal>from</literal> | <literal>to</literal> }

{ <replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable> | stdin | stdout | pstdin | pstdout }