Horton

Re: Improvements in psql hooks for variables

Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net>

View thread View on postgr.es
From: Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net>
To: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Cc: Daniel Verite <daniel@manitou-mail.org>, Rahila Syed <rahilasyed90@gmail.com>, Ashutosh Bapat <ashutosh.bapat@enterprisedb.com>, pgsql-hackers <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>
Date: 2016-11-19T23:49:44Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers 
* Tom Lane (tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us) wrote:
> Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net> writes:
> > In reviewing this patch, I also noticed that it's set up to assume a
> > 'true' result when a variable can't be parsed by ParseVariableBool.
> 
> I suppose that's meant to be backwards-compatible with the current
> behavior:

Ah, good point, however..

> but I agree that if we're changing things in this area, that would
> be high on my list of things to change.  I think what we want going
> forward is to disallow setting "special" variables to invalid values,
> and that should hold both for regular variables that have special
> behaviors, and for the special-syntax cases like \timing.

I completely agree with you here.  We shouldn't be assuming "invalid"
means "true".

Thanks!

Stephen

Commits

  1. Clean up psql's behavior for a few more control variables.

  2. Make psql's \set display variables in alphabetical order.

  3. Improve psql's behavior for \set and \unset of its control variables.

  4. Make psql reject attempts to set special variables to invalid values.