Re: vacuumdb: Help text for --analyze-only.

From: David G Johnston <david(dot)g(dot)johnston(at)gmail(dot)com>
To: pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: vacuumdb: Help text for --analyze-only.
Date: 2014-11-18 01:41:30
Message-ID: 1416274890502-5827317.post@n5.nabble.com
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Mats Erik Andersson wrote
> Hello there,
>
> I observe that the help text of vacuumdb for --analyze,
> --analyze-only, and --analyze-in-stages could do with
> a little clarification in order to be self-documenting
> and thus improve the user experience of vacuumdb.
>
> The problem is that the sole addition of the word "only" to
> an otherwise identical text for --analyze and --analyze-only
> seems rather obscure. My suggestion follows.

-1 for the changes as proposed. I'm not particularly convinced this is bad
since the help text rightly presumes the knowledge that the vacuum process
also performs analyze and all the flags do is toggle between the three
possible combinations of these two actions - and the special in-stages
version. The word "only" quickly communicates that the vacuum does not
occur - only the secondary analyze.

Help is not typically meant to be self-documenting; it presumes one has read
the docs and/or man page for the relevant program and concepts and simply
needs a quick reminder as to syntax and capabilities.

All that said I would drop the word "only" and add "without vacuuming"
instead if you feel that "only" is too vague. I do not like the phrase "no
vacuum"...

David J.

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