Re: improve the help message about psql -F

in the offical doc,-F say：

> Use separator as the field separator for unaligned output.

but in the psql --help,-F say:

> set field separator (default: "|")

if user don't read the offical doc carefully,he can use:

psql -F , -c 'select ...'

But can't get what he want.
It is a bad user Experience.

I make a patch change the help message for -F to:

> set field separator for unaligned output (default: "|")

patch for head attached.

Jov
blog: http:amutu.com/blog <http://amutu.com/blog>

any commnet？

Jov
blog: http:amutu.com/blog <http://amutu.com/blog>

2014/1/17 Jov <amutu(at)amutu(dot)com>

> in the offical doc,-F say：
>
>> Use separator as the field separator for unaligned output.
>
>
> but in the psql --help,-F say:
>
>> set field separator (default: "|")
>
>
> if user don't read the offical doc carefully,he can use:
>
> psql -F , -c 'select ...'
>
> But can't get what he want.
> It is a bad user Experience.
>
> I make a patch change the help message for -F to:
>
>> set field separator for unaligned output (default: "|")
>
>
> patch for head attached.
>
> Jov
> blog: http:amutu.com/blog <http://amutu.com/blog>
>

2014/1/17 Jov <amutu(at)amutu(dot)com>
> but in the psql --help,-F say:
>
>> set field separator (default: "|")

> if user don't read the offical doc carefully,he can use:
>
>> psql -F , -c 'select ...'
>
> But can't get what he want.
> It is a bad user Experience.

+1 from me, patch applies and is helpful.

After patching this line in psql --help is 82 characters long; I think
it's best to keep help screens below 80 characters wide (although
there's already 1 other line violating this rule).

I think the word "set" is pretty useless there anyway, maybe remove
that so the message becomes "field separator for unaligned output
(default: "|")"

PS: There isn't an open CommitFest to add this to. Shouldn't we always
open a new CF when the last one goes in progress? If there's no date,
it may be simply called "next"

Regards,
Marti

reasonable，I removed the "set",patch attached.

Jov
blog: http:amutu.com/blog <http://amutu.com/blog>

2014/1/20 Marti Raudsepp <marti(at)juffo(dot)org>

> 2014/1/17 Jov <amutu(at)amutu(dot)com>
> > but in the psql --help,-F say:
> >
> >> set field separator (default: "|")
>
> > if user don't read the offical doc carefully,he can use:
> >
> >> psql -F , -c 'select ...'
> >
> > But can't get what he want.
> > It is a bad user Experience.
>
> +1 from me, patch applies and is helpful.
>
> After patching this line in psql --help is 82 characters long; I think
> it's best to keep help screens below 80 characters wide (although
> there's already 1 other line violating this rule).
>
> I think the word "set" is pretty useless there anyway, maybe remove
> that so the message becomes "field separator for unaligned output
> (default: "|")"
>
> PS: There isn't an open CommitFest to add this to. Shouldn't we always
> open a new CF when the last one goes in progress? If there's no date,
> it may be simply called "next"
>
> Regards,
> Marti
>
>

On Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 2:04 PM, Jov <amutu(at)amutu(dot)com> wrote:
> reasonable，I removed the "set",patch attached.

Hi Jov,

A new commitfest was just opened, due on 2014-06. Please add your patch here:
https://commitfest.postgresql.org/action/commitfest_view?id=22

(You'll need a community account if you don't already have one)

Sometimes simple fixes like yours are merged outside a CommitFest, but
adding it there makes sure it won't get lost.

Regards,
Marti

OK,I will do it.Thanks.

Jov
blog: http:amutu.com/blog <http://amutu.com/blog>

2014/1/21 Marti Raudsepp <marti(at)juffo(dot)org>

> On Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 2:04 PM, Jov <amutu(at)amutu(dot)com> wrote:
> > reasonable，I removed the "set",patch attached.
>
> Hi Jov,
>
> A new commitfest was just opened, due on 2014-06. Please add your patch
> here:
> https://commitfest.postgresql.org/action/commitfest_view?id=22
>
> (You'll need a community account if you don't already have one)
>
> Sometimes simple fixes like yours are merged outside a CommitFest, but
> adding it there makes sure it won't get lost.
>
> Regards,
> Marti
>
>

If you are going to change the help string for -F, you should also
update the help string for -R, and possibly for -z and -0.

>
>

On Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 10:02:20PM -0500, Peter Eisentraut wrote:
> If you are going to change the help string for -F, you should also
> update the help string for -R, and possibly for -z and -0.

Patch applied with all the suggestions merged in; commitfest item
marked as committed:

-F, --field-separator=STRING
field separator for unaligned output (default: "|")
-H, --html HTML table output mode
-P, --pset=VAR[=ARG] set printing option VAR to ARG (see \pset command)
-R, --record-separator=STRING
record separator for unaligned output (default: newline)
-t, --tuples-only print rows only
-T, --table-attr=TEXT set HTML table tag attributes (e.g., width, border)
-x, --expanded turn on expanded table output
-z, --field-separator-zero
set field separator for unaligned output to zero byte
-0, --record-separator-zero
set record separator for unaligned output to zero byte

--
Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us> http://momjian.us
EnterpriseDB http://enterprisedb.com

+ Everyone has their own god. +