front end

Hi all,

I'm new to this list, new to PostgreSQL, and new to UNIX.

I'm writing a front-end in REALbasic (RB) on Mac OS X for psql.  RB
comes with a psql plugin, but I find it unreliable and extremely
slow.  I needs one and a half hour to display 30,000 records of two
fields for instance.

Therefore I want to write my own 'connection code'.  I have achieved
a tcp/ip socket connection with the psql server yet, but I don't know
which characters psql expects next to feed it a password, user name,
and database name.  (Or even before that if you need to perhaps
request a session id or so.)

I spent several hours searching on the psql site, but didn't find the
specs on this.

Anyone?

Thanks,

Marc