> > The existing protocols (pg_dump, etc) are largely geared towards
> > DBA-level backups, thus they tend to depend upon backend database
> > access and validation schemes, ie, through .pgpass or pg_hba.conf,
> > as opposed to frontend tools and user-level privilege grants.
>
> What's wrong with \copy in psql?
\copy is fairly limited, especially when compared with the import/export
options in something like Access. This is one of those situation where
the tools that Access provides runs circles around the tools that psql
provides.
Also, what about users who don't have psql access?
More importantly, backups are a back end task, data import/export
is more of a front end task.
If we want to appeal to a wider user base, we have to consider user tool
needs.
--
Mike Nolan