Re: [HACKERS] Re: HISTORY for 6.5.2

On Tue, 21 Sep 1999, Michael Simms wrote:

> I would have to say that if you 'started out with theintention of writing
> a corba front-and' then I dont think you can really speak for newbies.
> 
> When I started using postgresql I had vaguely heard of odbc and I had
> a couple of example queries of SQL.
> 
> If I had had to go to template1 and create database whatever; and THEN
> go use it, I would have been fairly confused.

Why?  How did you learn about the createdb or createuser commands in the
first place?  

Section 20 of the INSTALL file could read:

       20. Briefly test that the backend will start and 
           run by running it from the command line.
            a. Start the postmaster daemon running in the 
              background by typing 
              $ cd
              $ nohup postmaster -i > pgserver.log 2>&1 &
	    b. Connect to the database by typing
		$ psql template1
            b. Create a database by typing 
              $ create database testdb;
            c. Connect to the new database by typing:
              template1=> \connect testdb
            d. And run a sample query: 
              testdb=> SELECT datetime 'now';
            e. Exit psql: 
              testdb=> \q
            f. Remove the test database (unless you will 
              want to use it later for other tests): 
              testdb=> drop database testdb;

now the end user knows how to create and drop a database properly...

hell, add in a few extra steps for creating a new user and deleting
him...once ppl know the commands exist, they will use them and learn how
to better use them...

For 'newbies', they learn about createdb/createuser from the INSTALL
file...it doesn't take anything to teach them to do 'CREATE DATABASE' vs
'createdb', and it gives them the *proper* way to do it...


Marc G. Fournier                   ICQ#7615664               IRC Nick: Scrappy
Systems Administrator @ hub.org 
primary: scrappy@hub.org           secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org