Re: psql: default base and password reading

Peter Eisentraut <peter_e(at)gmx(dot)net> writes:
> Might as well use getpass() if available. My man page says "A getpass
> function appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.", so it should be available on
> most systems.

Hmm. HPUX's man page for getpass says:

STANDARDS CONFORMANCE
getpass(): AES, SVID2, SVID3, XPG2, XPG3, XPG4

However, it also says:

getpass() reads up to a newline or EOF from the file /dev/tty, after
prompting on the standard error output with the null-terminated string
prompt and disabling echoing. A pointer is returned to a null-
terminated string of at most 8 characters. If /dev/tty cannot be
opened, a NULL pointer is returned.

The 8-char limit is alone sufficient to disqualify it for use in psql.

regards, tom lane