copy data from csv to postgresql using python

Here is an extract from relevant PostgreSQL documentation : 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

That's the reason why the copy command to or from a file a restricted to a PostgreSQL superuser : the file must be present on server and is loaded directly by the server process.

You should instead use :

cur.copy_from(r'C:\Users\n\Desktop\data.csv', temp_unicommerce_status)

as suggested by this other answer, because internally it uses COPY from stdin.

#sample of code that worked for me

import psycopg2 #import the postgres library

#connect to the database
conn = psycopg2.connect(host='localhost',
                       dbname='database1',
                       user='postgres',
                       password='****',
                       port='****')  
#create a cursor object 
#cursor object is used to interact with the database
cur = conn.cursor()

#create table with same headers as csv file
cur.execute("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS test(**** text, **** float, **** float, **** 
text)")

#open the csv file using python standard file I/O
#copy file into the table just created 
with open('******.csv', 'r') as f:
next(f) # Skip the header row.
    #f , <database name>, Comma-Seperated
    cur.copy_from(f, '****', sep=',')
    #Commit Changes
    conn.commit()
    #Close connection
    conn.close()


f.close()

Use the copy_from cursor method

f = open(r'C:\Users\n\Desktop\data.csv', 'r')
cur.copy_from(f, temp_unicommerce_status, sep=',')
f.close()

The file must be passed as an object.

Since you are coping from a csv file it is necessary to specify the separator as the default is a tab character

The way I solved this problem particular to use psychopg2 cursor class function copy_expert (Docs: http://initd.org/psycopg/docs/cursor.html). copy_expert allows you to use STDIN therefore bypassing the need to issue a superuser privilege for the postgres user. Your access to the file then depends on the client (linux/windows/mac) user's access to the file

From Postgres COPY Docs (https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-copy.html):

Do not confuse COPY with the psql instruction \copy. \copy invokes COPY FROM STDIN or COPY TO STDOUT, and then fetches/stores the data in a file accessible to the psql client. Thus, file accessibility and access rights depend on the client rather than the server when \copy is used.

You can also leave the permissions set strictly for access to the development_user home folder and the App folder.

csv_file_name = '/home/user/some_file.csv'
sql = "COPY table_name FROM STDIN DELIMITER '|' CSV HEADER"
cursor.copy_expert(sql, open(csv_file_name, "r"))