Re: pg_dump docs should mention TMPDIR

Tom Lane wrote:
> Mark Stosberg  writes:
> > A suggested addition to the pg_dump docs:
> > This would be an extension to the documentation for the "tar" format:
> 
> > The tar format needs some space to create temporary files. By default
> > "/tmp" is used. On systems with small "/tmp" partitions, set the
> > "TMPDIR" environment variable to a location with more space, such as
> > "/usr/tmp".
> 
> There is no reference to TMPDIR in the pg_dump code.  It may be that
> tmpfile() pays attention to such an environment variable on your
> machine, but there's nothing about it in the Single Unix Spec.
> 
> > Also, I would like it if the pg_dump docs more assertively recommended
> > one of the "tar" or "custom" formats. They seem very similiar.
> 
> Yeah.  I think it should specifically recommend custom format.  The only
> reason for using tar format would be if you want to process the file
> later with something other than pg_restore.

I have applied the attached patch to recommend more clearly custom
pg_dump format over tar, by showing custom format examples first.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian   http://candle.pha.pa.us
  EnterpriseDB    http://www.enterprisedb.com

  + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +
Index: doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dump.sgml
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dump.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.83
diff -c -c -r1.83 pg_dump.sgml
*** doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dump.sgml	15 Apr 2006 18:11:16 -0000	1.83
--- doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dump.sgml	6 May 2006 23:23:23 -0000
***************
*** 244,271 ****
          
  
          
!          t</>
!          tar</>
           
            
!          Output a tar archive suitable for input into 
!          pg_restore. Using this archive format 
!          allows reordering and/or exclusion of database objects
!          at the time the database is restored. It is also possible to limit 
!          which data is reloaded at restore time.
            
           
          
  
          
!          c</>
!          custom</>
           
            
!          Output a custom archive suitable for input into 
!          pg_restore. This is the most flexible 
!          format in that it allows reordering of loading data as well 
!          as object definitions. This format is also compressed by default.
            
           
          
--- 244,271 ----
          
  
          
!          c</>
!          custom</>
           
            
!          Output a custom archive suitable for input into 
!          pg_restore. This is the most flexible 
!          format in that it allows reordering of loading data as well 
!          as object definitions. This format is also compressed by default.
            
           
          
  
          
!          t</>
!          tar</>
           
            
!          Output a tar archive suitable for input into 
!          pg_restore. Using this archive format 
!          allows reordering and/or exclusion of database objects
!          at the time the database is restored. It is also possible to limit 
!          which data is reloaded at restore time.
            
           
          
***************
*** 665,675 ****
    
  
    
!    To dump a database called mydb</> to a tar
     file:
  
  
! $ pg_dump -Ft mydb > db.tar
  
    
  
--- 665,675 ----
    
  
    
!    To dump a database called mydb</> to a file in custom format:
     file:
  
  
! $ pg_dump -Fc mydb > db.out
  
    
  
***************
*** 677,683 ****
     To reload this dump into an existing database called newdb</>:
  
  
! $ pg_restore -d newdb db.tar
  
    
  
--- 677,683 ----
     To reload this dump into an existing database called newdb</>:
  
  
! $ pg_restore -d newdb db.out