PostgreSQL issue: reserved keyword used as identifier
Hello everyone I just met a huge problem concerning the database. I'm currently trying to transfer my data from MySQL to PostgreSQL by writing a Perl script that would do the job. Here is the issue: In the "form_definition" table, one of the field identifiers is "desc", which is a reserved SQL keyword used for ordering values. Therefore, There's currently no way of making any query of the type "INSERT INTO table_name (<identifiers list>) VALUES (<values list>);" which is a big handicap in this context, since the order of the identifiers list we dynamically retrieve is not necessarily (and seldom) the right order. Is there a way to fix this issue without blowing everything up? Cheers, L-A
2011/4/8 Louise-Amélie Schmitt <louise-amelie.schmitt@embl.de>:
Hello everyone
I just met a huge problem concerning the database. I'm currently trying to transfer my data from MySQL to PostgreSQL by writing a Perl script that would do the job.
Here is the issue: In the "form_definition" table, one of the field identifiers is "desc", which is a reserved SQL keyword used for ordering values. Therefore, There's currently no way of making any query of the type "INSERT INTO table_name (<identifiers list>) VALUES (<values list>);" which is a big handicap in this context, since the order of the identifiers list we dynamically retrieve is not necessarily (and seldom) the right order.
Is there a way to fix this issue without blowing everything up?
You need to quote the identifiers. A simple example using "desc" as a column name: sdavis=# create table test_table( id int, desc varchar); ERROR: syntax error at or near "desc" LINE 3: desc varchar); ^ sdavis=# create table test_table( id int, "desc" varchar); CREATE TABLE Hope that helps. Sean
Le vendredi 08 avril 2011 à 11:12 -0400, Sean Davis a écrit :
2011/4/8 Louise-Amélie Schmitt <louise-amelie.schmitt@embl.de>:
Hello everyone
I just met a huge problem concerning the database. I'm currently trying to transfer my data from MySQL to PostgreSQL by writing a Perl script that would do the job.
Here is the issue: In the "form_definition" table, one of the field identifiers is "desc", which is a reserved SQL keyword used for ordering values. Therefore, There's currently no way of making any query of the type "INSERT INTO table_name (<identifiers list>) VALUES (<values list>);" which is a big handicap in this context, since the order of the identifiers list we dynamically retrieve is not necessarily (and seldom) the right order.
Is there a way to fix this issue without blowing everything up?
You need to quote the identifiers. A simple example using "desc" as a column name:
sdavis=# create table test_table( id int, desc varchar); ERROR: syntax error at or near "desc" LINE 3: desc varchar); ^ sdavis=# create table test_table( id int, "desc" varchar); CREATE TABLE
Hope that helps.
Sean
Thanks, but I cheated by duplicating a little the information and it works fine. I use "insert into table values (...);". I still have problems transfering the data though. The script runs without growling but nothing is actually written in the target tables... I'll have to see that on monday now :/ If I succeed, I'll let you know. Cheers, L-A
Hi Louise, Have you considered doing a SQL dump and import? Sounds easier to me than writing a perl script ;) -K 2011/4/8 Louise-Amélie Schmitt <louise-amelie.schmitt@embl.de>:
Le vendredi 08 avril 2011 à 11:12 -0400, Sean Davis a écrit :
2011/4/8 Louise-Amélie Schmitt <louise-amelie.schmitt@embl.de>:
Hello everyone
I just met a huge problem concerning the database. I'm currently trying to transfer my data from MySQL to PostgreSQL by writing a Perl script that would do the job.
Here is the issue: In the "form_definition" table, one of the field identifiers is "desc", which is a reserved SQL keyword used for ordering values. Therefore, There's currently no way of making any query of the type "INSERT INTO table_name (<identifiers list>) VALUES (<values list>);" which is a big handicap in this context, since the order of the identifiers list we dynamically retrieve is not necessarily (and seldom) the right order.
Is there a way to fix this issue without blowing everything up?
You need to quote the identifiers. A simple example using "desc" as a column name:
sdavis=# create table test_table( id int, desc varchar); ERROR: syntax error at or near "desc" LINE 3: desc varchar); ^ sdavis=# create table test_table( id int, "desc" varchar); CREATE TABLE
Hope that helps.
Sean
Thanks, but I cheated by duplicating a little the information and it works fine. I use "insert into table values (...);".
I still have problems transfering the data though. The script runs without growling but nothing is actually written in the target tables... I'll have to see that on monday now :/
If I succeed, I'll let you know.
Cheers, L-A
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Louise-Amélie;
I just met a huge problem concerning the database. I'm currently trying to transfer my data from MySQL to PostgreSQL by writing a Perl script that would do the job.
I've used this ruby script to convert a Galaxy MySQL database to PostgreSQL: https://github.com/maxlapshin/mysql2postgres and it worked smoothly. But definitely be safe and take a backup before messing with the database so you can roll back to MySQL if you have any issues. Brad
On Fri, 8 Apr 2011 19:02:23 -0400, Brad Chapman <chapmanb@50mail.com> wrote:
Louise-Amélie;
I just met a huge problem concerning the database. I'm currently trying to transfer my data from MySQL to PostgreSQL by writing a Perl script that would do the job.
I've used this ruby script to convert a Galaxy MySQL database to PostgreSQL:
https://github.com/maxlapshin/mysql2postgres
and it worked smoothly. But definitely be safe and take a backup before messing with the database so you can roll back to MySQL if you have any issues.
Brad
Oooh interesting :) thank you! I don't really like Ruby but meh, why not after all. I still hope I'll be able to make my script work though, since it's almost complete, but I'm keeping your solution too. Cheers, L-A
On Fri, 8 Apr 2011 16:33:58 -0400, Kanwei Li <kanwei@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Louise,
Have you considered doing a SQL dump and import? Sounds easier to me than writing a perl script ;)
-K
Oh yes I did... Yeah, that solution sounded so sweet that is was the first thing I tried. But don't be fooled by the apparent easyness, it's another whole ordeal to go through. If it was MySQL to MySQL or PSQL to PSQL, yeah that would be the easiest and fastest way. But the syntax/structure used by both is very different (MySQL is awfully non-standard), and there's no batteries-included way to do the translation, just a few scripts here and there. You have to edit stuff manually anyway. An example: everywhere I see people giving the --compatible=postgresql option of mysqldump as the obvious solution of all problems, but when I tried it and searched about it, I really wondered why they provide this option at all. If you want more information about it you should check this website out: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Converting_MySQL_to_PostgreSQL When I saw the mess it was, I told myself that since the tables are automatically generated, I might as well make the most of it and only transfer the data. I tried using Kettle: http://pinoytech.org/question/5417386/import-mysql-dump-to-postgresql-databa... but in the end I got job crashes and error message like "something crashed, period" so since I didn't want to waste too much time on trying to make this steam machine work, I'd rather make my own lil' script. Yeah, in the end, it was the easiest way to me, believe me or not. ^^ Cheers ;) L-A
participants (4)
-
Brad Chapman -
Kanwei Li -
Louise-Amélie Schmitt -
Sean Davis