Copying data from local .CSV file to pgsql table in remote server - postgresql

Question

I am trying to copy data from a csv file from my local machine into a remote pgsql table named states, but i am getting an ERROR: Syntax error at or near "FROM". Can someone guide me as to why i am receiving this error?
COPY FROM STDIN states FROM '/Users/Shared/data.csv' DELIMITER AS ',';

Answer 1

The problem is that the path to the file is in the remote server, not the local one.
you need psql and pipe the file to STDIN:
psql -h host -d remoteDB -U myuser -c "copy states from STDIN with delimiter as ',';" < /path/file.csv
alternatively you can also do:
cat /path/file.csv | psql -h host -d remoteDB -U myuser -c "copy states from STDIN with delimiter as ',';"

Answer 2

You can't do it directly with a filename unless the file is on the Postgres server. The docs of COPY state:
COPY with a file name instructs the PostgreSQL server to directly read from or write to a file. The file must be accessible to the server and the name must be specified from the viewpoint of the server. When STDIN or STDOUT is specified, data is transmitted via the connection between the client and the server.
You'll have to pipe the file in via STDIN.
Many Postgres drivers provide a method to make this easier. For example, ruby-pg provides copy_data.
conn.copy_data "COPY states FROM STDIN FORMAT CSV" do
File.foreach('/Users/Shared/data.csv') do |line|
conn.put_copy_data(line)
end
end