Re: more adequate usage msg: pg_controldata.diff

Peter Eisentraut <peter_e(at)gmx(dot)net> writes:
> Bruce Momjian writes:
>> Patch applied, with slight adjustment. New output is:

> I explained in my last message that this patch is wrong. Please revert
> it. (DATADIR is not an option and therefore it shouldn't be listed in the
> options list.)

Actually, it is optional for pg_controldata. The usage message is
technically correct as it stands because pg_controldata accepts at most
one argument (either --help, --version, or a DATADIR name).

At some point in the future we might alter the program so that it can
take some switches as well as a DATADIR name, and at that time the
distinction between switches and DATADIR would become significant.
But as of today, a usage message like
pg_controldata [options] [DATADIR]
would actually be wrong, so I'm not sure what to put instead.

I agree with Peter's objection in principle, but given that the program
has such a limited commandline syntax, I can't find a hard reason to do
otherwise than Bruce did.

regards, tom lane