Re: Clarify deleting comments and security labels in synopsis

Dagfinn Ilmari Mannsåker <ilmari@ilmari.org>

From: Dagfinn Ilmari Mannsåker <ilmari@ilmari.org>
To: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Cc: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Date: 2023-01-31T18:07:15Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers

Attachments

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

> =?utf-8?Q?Dagfinn_Ilmari_Manns=C3=A5ker?= <ilmari@ilmari.org> writes:
>> A user on IRC was confused about how to delete a security label using
>> the `SECURITY LABLEL ON … IS …` command, and looking at the docs I can
>> see why.
>
>> The synopsis just says `IS 'label'`, which implies that it can only be a
>> string. It's not until you read the description for `label` that you
>> see "or `NULL` to drop the security label."  I propose making the
>> synopsis say `IS { 'label' | NULL }` to make it clear that it can be
>> NULL as well.  The same applies to `COMMENT ON … IS …`, which I've also
>> changed similarly in the attached.
>
> Agreed; as-is, the syntax summary is not just confusing but outright
> wrong.
>
> I think we could go further and split the entry under Parameters
> to match:
>
> 	'text'
> 		The new comment (must be a simple string literal,
> 		not an expression).
>
> 	NULL
> 		Write NULL to drop the comment.

Makes sense. Something like the attached v2?

> 			regards, tom lane

- ilmari

Commits

  1. Doc: clarify use of NULL to drop comments and security labels.