Re: psql's \copy incompatible with :variables

Josh Berkus wrote:
> Summary: \copy interprets psql's :variables as literal strings
>
> Tested On: 8.4.4, 9.0.4
>
> Severity: Annoyance
>
> Steps to Reproduce:
>
>     psql
>
>     \set filename 'test.csv'
>
>     \copy pg_class to :filename with csv
>
>     \q
>
>     ls
>
>     :filename
>
> Note that psql variables work perfectly fine with COPY.  It's just \copy
> which seems to be misbehaving.

The problem is that none of the backslash commands interpret variables:

    test=> \set x '''y'''
    test=> select :x;
     ?column?
    ----------
     y
    (1 row)

    test=> \d :y
    Did not find any relation named ":y".

Should they?

--
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

  + It's impossible for everything to be true. +