Horton

Re: Improvements in psql hooks for variables

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

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From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net>
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: 2016-11-19T23:44:33Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers 
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:

regression=# \timing foo
unrecognized value "foo" for "\timing"; assuming "on"
Timing is on.

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.

			regards, tom lane

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.