> This format is too important, so some special short or long option can be > practical (it will be printed in help) > > some like --csv
I guess -C/--csv could be used, like there already is -H/--html.
> I found one issue - PostgreSQL default field separator is "|". Maybe good > time to use more common "," ? > > Or when field separator was not explicitly defined, then use "," for CSV, > and "|" for other. Although it can be little bit messy
Currently there's a strong analogy between the unaligned mode and csv mode. In particular they use the existing pset variables fieldsep, fieldsep_zero, recordsep, recordsep_zero in the same way. If we want to make csv special with regard to the delimiters, that complicates the user interface For instance if fieldsep was changed automatically by \pset format csv, it's not obvious if/when we should switch it back to its previous state, and how the fieldsep switch done automatically would mix or conflict with other \pset commands issued by the user. Or we need to duplicate these variables. Or duplicate only fieldsep, having a fieldsep_csv, leaving out the other variables and not being as close to the unaligned mode. These options don't appeal to me much compared to the simplicity of the current patch.
Also, although the comma is the separator defined by the RFC4180 and the default for COPY CSV, people also use the semicolon extensively (because it's what Excel does I guess), which somehow mitigates the importance of comma as the default value.
The functionality is clean and great - default setting "|" is less. I have not strong opinion about it and I understand to your arguments. Has anybody some idea?
Regards
Pavel
Best regards, -- Daniel Vérité PostgreSQL-powered mailer: http://www.manitou-mail.org Twitter: @DanielVerite