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+$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dump.sgml,v 1.117 2010/02/23 17:28:09 tgl Exp $
PostgreSQL documentation
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the <quote>custom</quote> format (<option>-Fc</option>). It allows
for selection and reordering of all archived items, and is compressed
by default. The <application>tar</application> format
- (<option>-Ft</option>) is not compressed and it is not possible to
- reorder data when loading, but it is otherwise quite flexible;
+ (<option>-Ft</option>) is not compressed and has restrictions on
+ reordering data when loading, but it is otherwise quite flexible;
moreover, it can be manipulated with standard Unix tools such as
<command>tar</command>.
</para>
<term><literal>custom</></term>
<listitem>
<para>
- Output a custom archive suitable for input into
- <application>pg_restore</application>. This is the most flexible
- format in that it allows reordering of loading data as well
- as object definitions. This format is also compressed by default.
+ Output a custom-format archive suitable for input into
+ <application>pg_restore</application>.
+ This is the most flexible output format in that it allows manual
+ selection and reordering of archived items during restore.
+ This format is also compressed by default.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<term><literal>tar</></term>
<listitem>
<para>
- Output a <command>tar</command> archive suitable for input into
- <application>pg_restore</application>. Using this archive format
- allows reordering and/or exclusion of database objects
- at the time the database is restored. It is also possible to limit
- which data is reloaded at restore time.
+ Output a <command>tar</command>-format archive suitable for input
+ into <application>pg_restore</application>.
+ This output format allows manual selection and reordering of
+ archived items during restore, but there is a restriction: the
+ relative order of table data items cannot be changed during
+ restore. Also, <command>tar</command> format does not support
+ compression and has a limit of 8 GB on the size of individual
+ tables.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>