Horton

Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

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From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Álvaro Herrera <alvherre@kurilemu.de>
Cc: Pg Hackers <pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org>, Daniel Verite <daniel@manitou-mail.org>
Date: 2025-11-03T20:53:29Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers 
=?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

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.