Re: Improvements in psql hooks for variables

* Tom Lane (tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us) wrote:
> Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net> writes:
> > In reviewing this patch, I also noticed that it's set up to assume a
> > 'true' result when a variable can't be parsed by ParseVariableBool.
>
> I suppose that's meant to be backwards-compatible with the current
> behavior:

Ah, good point, however..

> but I agree that if we're changing things in this area, that would
> be high on my list of things to change.  I think what we want going
> forward is to disallow setting "special" variables to invalid values,
> and that should hold both for regular variables that have special
> behaviors, and for the special-syntax cases like \timing.

I completely agree with you here.  We shouldn't be assuming "invalid"
means "true".

Thanks!

Stephen