Export PostgreSQL table to TXT (pipe delimited text)

Shiji Pan

1 year ago

Want to export data from PostgreSQL table to TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file?

Try Withdata DBToFile, a PostgreSQL to TXT converter for Windows, Linux, and macOS, Export PostgreSQL data to TXT, Easy and Fast.

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Export data from PostgreSQL table to TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file

Connect to PostgreSQL -> Choose PostgreSQL table -> Set TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file options -> Export PostgreSQL to TXT

“Export From Table” for “PostgreSQL to TXT”.

Select TXT file type.

1. Choose PostgreSQL table.

2. Set TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file options.

3. Set rows options.

4. Export PostgreSQL data to TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file.

After exporting, you can view output TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files.

PostgreSQL → Pipe-delimited reference

Type mapping

Value kind	in PostgreSQL	in Pipe-delimited
Int	`integer`	`1234`
Bigint	`bigint`	`9007199254740993`
Decimal	`numeric(p,s)`	`1234.56`
Float	`double precision`	`1.234e+10`
Text	`varchar(n)`	`quoted only when it contains a pipe or a quote`
Long text	`text`	`must be quoted; line breaks inside force multi-line records`
Date	`date`	`2026-09-18`
Datetime	`timestamp`	`2026-09-18 14:30:00`
Binary	`bytea`	`not representable - base64 or hex string`
Boolean	`boolean`	`TRUE / FALSE, or 1 / 0 depending on the writer`
JSON	`jsonb`	`the whole JSON value quoted, with internal quotes doubled`

Dialect differences

PostgreSQL is a database server and Pipe-delimited is a file format, so the gap is wider than a dialect difference - the rows below are where values and structure stop lining up.

Property	in PostgreSQL	in Pipe-delimited
port	`5432`	`—`
identifiers	`"double quotes"`	`Double quotes; a literal quote is doubled ("" )`
row limit	`LIMIT n`	`—`
dates	`timestamp, timestamptz, date, time`	`Conventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00`
long text	`TEXT`	`—`
binary	`BYTEA`	`Not supported`
separator	`—`	`Pipe "\|"`
encoding	`—`	`No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM`
typing	`—`	`None - every field is text`
shape	`Tables of rows and columns`	`Flat table, optional header row`
ceiling	`—`	`No formal limit; row count bounded by memory`

Command line

Side	Command
PostgreSQL	`pg_dump or COPY ... TO`
PostgreSQL (load)	`COPY ... FROM`

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