Re: [HACKERS] psql: new help related to variables are not too readable

2017-09-14 15:17 GMT+02:00 Alvaro Herrera <alvherre@alvh.no-ip.org>:

Tom Lane wrote:
> "David G. Johnston" <david.g.johnston@gmail.com> writes:
> >​If I was going to try and read it like a book I'd want the extra
> > white-space to make doing so easier (white-space gives the eye a breather
> > when done with a particular concept) - and the length wouldn't really
> > matter since I'd just make a single pass and be done with it.  But the
> > planned usage is for quick lookup of options that you know (or at least
> > suspect) exist and which you probably have an approximate idea of how they
> > are spelled.  The all-caps and left-justified block headers are distinct
> > enough to scan down - though I'd consider indenting 4 spaces instead of 2
> > to make that even easier (less effort to ignore the indented lines since
> > ignoring nothing is easier than ignoring something).​  Having more fit on
> > one screen makes that vertical skimming considerably easier as well (no
> > break and re-acquire when scrolling in a new page).
>
> Hmm, indenting the descriptions a couple more spaces might be a workable
> compromise.  Anyone want to try that and see what it looks like?
> Preferably somebody who's not happy with the current layout ;-)

I have to admit that adding two spaces makes it look a lot more
acceptable to me.

I did some tests now, and when the name of variable is a upper case string, then are acceptable (although with empty line space it is better).

for pset variables (is lower case), then reading is not too friendly still.

Sure - four spaces is better than two - but readability is not good.

There can be another reason of feeling vertical spaces - the size of chars. I am using probably small fonts - I am using X windows and my typical terminal windows is half of screen (I have T520 Lenovo) about 60 rows and 120 columns. 

Please, look to document https://github.com/darold/ora2pg README and try to remove empty lines. 

Regards

Pavel

 

(I'd tweak the description of PSQL_EDITOR_LINENUMBER_ARG by replacing
"how to" with "mechanism to" while at it, by the way.  It took me a
while to understand what it was and I first thought the description was
completely bogus.)

--
Álvaro Herrera                https://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
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