While I'm looking at this ... the current implementation has got a number of very inconsistent behaviors with respect to when it will expand a variable reference within a psql meta-command argument. Observe:
regression=# \set foo 'value of foo' regression=# \set bar 'value of bar' regression=# \echo :foo value of foo regression=# \echo :foo@bar value of foo @bar (there shouldn't be a space before the @, IMO --- there is because this gets treated as two separate arguments, which seems bizarre) regression=# \echo :foo:bar value of foo value of bar (again, why is this two arguments not one?) regression=# \echo :foo@:bar value of foo @:bar (why isn't :bar expanded here, when it is in the previous case?) regression=# \echo foo:foo@:bar foo:foo@:bar (and now neither one gets expanded) ISTM the general rule ought to be that we attempt to substitute for a colon-construct regardless of where it appears within an argument, as long as it's not within quotes. Thoughts? regards, tom lane -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers