psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

Started by Alvaro Herrera5 months ago8 messageshackers
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#1Alvaro Herrera
alvherre@2ndquadrant.com

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.

Attachments:

0001-Have-psql-s-variables-show-csv_fieldsep.patchtext/x-diff; charset=utf-8Download+3-1
#2Tom Lane
tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us
In reply to: Alvaro Herrera (#1)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

=?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

#3Tom Lane
tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us
In reply to: Alvaro Herrera (#1)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

=?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

#4Alvaro Herrera
alvherre@2ndquadrant.com
In reply to: Tom Lane (#3)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

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."

#5Tom Lane
tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us
In reply to: Alvaro Herrera (#4)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

=?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

#6Alvaro Herrera
alvherre@2ndquadrant.com
In reply to: Tom Lane (#5)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

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/

Attachments:

0001-Refer-to-variables-for-pset-options.patchtext/x-diff; charset=utf-8Download+1-7
#7Tom Lane
tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us
In reply to: Alvaro Herrera (#6)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

=?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

#8Alvaro Herrera
alvherre@2ndquadrant.com
In reply to: Tom Lane (#7)
Re: psql --help=variables missing csv_fieldsep

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)