It was a picnic. I was confusing the 9+ version syntax with the pre-9 version syntax at the bottom of the page. Most of the options between the two versions are the same and the pre-9 version still works with the newer versions of PostgreSQL.
I was connecting to a version 13 server at the time. I've been using this same syntax for several years and never noticed the one key difference between the older and newer versions of the syntax of having to enclose the options within round brackets until Laurenz's example.
Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at> writes: > On Wed, 2021-06-09 at 19:54 +0000, PG Doc comments form wrote: >> When using psql (version 13.3) against a version 13 cluster, the method >> shown in the compatibility section works whereas the methods shown in the >> synopsis and parameters sections do not work and will throw a syntax >> error.
> You must be misreading something, the new syntax works: > COPY (SELECT 42 AS x) TO STDOUT (FORMAT 'csv', FORCE_QUOTE (x));
The most probable explanation seems to be that the OP is actually connecting to an 8.4 (or older) PG server.