PostgreSQL Writer Parameters

About Database Connections

Database formats include a Database Connection parameter that defines and stores authentication information. For general information about sharing database connections, please see Using Database Connections.

Note that Database Connection parameters differ slightly, depending on context and/or database format.

Connection

From the Connection parameter in a database format, you can do one of the following:

Select an existing, previously defined connection. See the section Reusing a Database Connection in Using Database Connections
Select Add Database Connection to define a new connection. See database-specific parameters below, as well as the section Adding a Database Connection in a Workspace in Using Database Connections. The new connection can be made visible only to the current user, or can be shared among multiple users.

Feature Type Names

UPPERCASE – Change all feature type names to uppercase text.
lowercase – Change all feature type names to lowercase text.
None – Do not make changes to any feature type names.

Attribute Names

UPPERCASE – Change all attribute names to uppercase text.
lowercase – Change all attribute names to lowercase text.
None – Do not make changes to any attribute names.

Bulk Insert

No – The writer inserts data into the database using SQL INSERT statements.

Yes – The writer inserts data using the SQL COPY command, which yields better performance.

Always Create Tables

This setting enables the creation of tables without data features.

No - Tables are only created when receiving data features.
Yes - Tables are created without data features if possible.

Note See Creating Tables Without Data Features for more information.

Missing Attribute Behavior

This parameter is enabled when Bulk Insert is set to No.

Insert null – The writer inserts NULL values for column values if attributes are missing or NULL on incoming features.
Insert column default value – The writer inserts the default value for a column when the incoming feature has a missing or NULL attribute.

Starting Feature

The number at which the writer will start writing features into the database. The writer skips the number of features in this parameter, and then it begins writing the features that follow.

Usually, the value specified is 0 (which is the default) – a non-zero value is usually only specified when a data load operation is being resumed after failing partway through.

Features Per Transaction

The number of features that FME places in each transaction before a transaction is committed to the database. (Note that VARIABLE is an accepted value, to work with the fme_db_transaction attribute.)

The default value is 1000.

SQL to Run Before Write

This parameter allows for the execution of SQL statements before writing to a table. For example, it may be necessary to clean up a table before attempting to write to it. The statements will be executed only when the first feature arrives at the writer.

For detailed information about SQL functions, click the corresponding menu item in the SQL to Run editor help Closed .

Available menu options depend on the format.

Multiple SQL commands can be delimited by a character specified using the FME_SQL_DELIMITER directive, embedded at the beginning of the SQL block. The single character following this directive will be used to split the SQL block into SQL statements, which will then be sent to the database for execution. Note: Include a space before the character.

For example:

FME_SQL_DELIMITER ;
DELETE FROM instructors ;
DELETE FROM people
WHERE LastName='Doe' AND FirstName='John'

Multiple delimiters are not allowed and the delimiter character will be stripped before being sent to the database.

Any errors occurring during the execution of these SQL statements will normally terminate the reader or writer (depending on where the SQL statement is executed) with an error. If the specified statement is preceded by a hyphen (“-”), such errors are ignored.

SQL to Run After Write

This parameter allows for the execution of SQL statements after a set of tables has been written. For example, it may be necessary to clean up a temporary view after creating it.