Horton

Thread

Commits

  1. Refer readers of \? to "\? variables" for pset options

  2. Have psql's "\? variables" show csv_fieldsep

  3. Add CSV table output mode in psql.

  1. psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Álvaro Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> — 2025-11-03T17:44:31Z

    While messing with the \pset boolean display patch, I noticed that psql
--help=variables is missing csv_fieldsep.  Is there a reason for this?
It appears to be an omission of commit aa2ba50c2c13 -- accidental?

The attached patch adds it.

-- 
Álvaro Herrera               48°01'N 7°57'E  —  https://www.EnterpriseDB.com/
Y una voz del caos me habló y me dijo
"Sonríe y sé feliz, podría ser peor".
Y sonreí. Y fui feliz.
Y fue peor.

  2. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2025-11-03T17:59:45Z

    =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> writes:
> While messing with the \pset boolean display patch, I noticed that psql
> --help=variables is missing csv_fieldsep.  Is there a reason for this?
> It appears to be an omission of commit aa2ba50c2c13 -- accidental?

Seems like a pretty easy oversight to make.  I wonder if there is some
way to cross-check help.c and psql-ref.sgml with the variables and
commands actually implemented in the code ...

			regards, tom lane

  3. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2025-11-03T18:03:51Z

    =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> writes:
> While messing with the \pset boolean display patch, I noticed that psql
> --help=variables is missing csv_fieldsep.  Is there a reason for this?

But wait ... is it actually a variable?  help.c does list it, but
as a \pset option:

    HELP0("  \\pset [NAME [VALUE]]   set table output option\n"
          "                         (border|columns|csv_fieldsep|display_false|display_true|\n"
...

Some kind of mechanical cross-check does seem like a good idea,
even if it's just a rough one-time effort.

			regards, tom lane

  4. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Álvaro Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> — 2025-11-03T20:20:28Z

    On 2025-Nov-03, Tom Lane wrote:

> =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> writes:
> > While messing with the \pset boolean display patch, I noticed that psql
> > --help=variables is missing csv_fieldsep.  Is there a reason for this?
> 
> But wait ... is it actually a variable?  help.c does list it, but
> as a \pset option:
> 
>     HELP0("  \\pset [NAME [VALUE]]   set table output option\n"
>           "                         (border|columns|csv_fieldsep|display_false|display_true|\n"

Yeah, there are two lists: one here in the "\?" output, and another in
the "\? variables" output, which is also `psql --help=variables`.  It
lists actual variables but also \pset options and environment variables
psql recognizes.  I find this one you quote somewhat unreadable, so I
was going to propose to remove it, and instead direct the user to look
at "\?  variables" for the exhaustive list.  That one is also a bit
easier to cross-check, I think.  (There's also tab-complete.)

-- 
Álvaro Herrera               48°01'N 7°57'E  —  https://www.EnterpriseDB.com/
"No renuncies a nada. No te aferres a nada."

  5. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2025-11-03T20:53:29Z

    =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> writes:
> On 2025-Nov-03, Tom Lane wrote:
>> But wait ... is it actually a variable?  help.c does list it, but
>> as a \pset option:

> Yeah, there are two lists: one here in the "\?" output, and another in
> the "\? variables" output, which is also `psql --help=variables`.  It
> lists actual variables but also \pset options and environment variables
> psql recognizes.

Huh.  I would not have called \pset options variables, but I guess
somebody thought it made sense.

> I find this one you quote somewhat unreadable, so I
> was going to propose to remove it, and instead direct the user to look
> at "\?  variables" for the exhaustive list.  That one is also a bit
> easier to cross-check, I think.  (There's also tab-complete.)

Agreed that the set of \pset options has bloated to the point where
that presentation is unreadable.

			regards, tom lane

  6. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Álvaro Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> — 2025-11-04T16:39:20Z

    On 2025-Nov-03, Tom Lane wrote:

> > I find this one you quote somewhat unreadable, so I
> > was going to propose to remove it, and instead direct the user to look
> > at "\?  variables" for the exhaustive list.  That one is also a bit
> > easier to cross-check, I think.  (There's also tab-complete.)
> 
> Agreed that the set of \pset options has bloated to the point where
> that presentation is unreadable.

How about this?

-- 
Álvaro Herrera         PostgreSQL Developer  —  https://www.EnterpriseDB.com/

  7. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2025-11-04T16:44:24Z

    =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> writes:
> On 2025-Nov-03, Tom Lane wrote:
>> Agreed that the set of \pset options has bloated to the point where
>> that presentation is unreadable.

> How about this?

WFM.

			regards, tom lane

  8. Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

    Álvaro Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> — 2025-11-06T16:37:57Z

    On 2025-Nov-04, Tom Lane wrote:

> =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de> writes:
> > On 2025-Nov-03, Tom Lane wrote:
> >> Agreed that the set of \pset options has bloated to the point where
> >> that presentation is unreadable.
> 
> > How about this?
> 
> WFM.

Thanks, pushed.

-- 
Álvaro Herrera        Breisgau, Deutschland  —  https://www.EnterpriseDB.com/
"La virtud es el justo medio entre dos defectos" (Aristóteles)