*** a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
--- b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
***************
*** 1489,1495 **** testdb=>
          way. Use <command>\i</command> for that.) This means that
          if the query ends with (or contains) a semicolon, it is
          immediately executed. Otherwise it will merely wait in the
!         query buffer; type semicolon or <literal>\g</> to send it, or
          <literal>\r</> to cancel.
          </para>
  
--- 1489,1495 ----
          way. Use <command>\i</command> for that.) This means that
          if the query ends with (or contains) a semicolon, it is
          immediately executed. Otherwise it will merely wait in the
!         query buffer; type semicolon, <literal>\g</> or <literal>\gset</literal> to send it, or
          <literal>\r</> to cancel.
          </para>
  
***************
*** 1623,1628 **** Tue Oct 26 21:40:57 CEST 1999
--- 1623,1640 ----
        </varlistentry>
  
        <varlistentry>
+         <term><literal>\gset</literal> <replaceable class="parameter">variable</replaceable> [ ,<replaceable class="parameter">variable</replaceable> ... ] </term>
+ 
+         <listitem>
+         <para>
+         Sends the current query input buffer to the server and stores
+         the query's target list a corresponding list of psql
+         variables.
+         </para>
+         </listitem>
+       </varlistentry>
+ 
+       <varlistentry>
          <term><literal>\h</literal> or <literal>\help</literal> <literal>[ <replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable> ]</literal></term>
          <listitem>
          <para>
*** a/src/bin/psql/command.c
--- b/src/bin/psql/command.c
***************
*** 748,753 **** exec_command(const char *cmd,
--- 748,776 ----
  		status = PSQL_CMD_SEND;
  	}
  
+ 	/* \gset send query and store result */
+ 	else if (strcmp(cmd, "gset") == 0)
+ 	{
+ 		bool	error;
+ 
+ 		pset.gvars = psql_scan_slash_vars(scan_state, &error);
+ 
+ 		if (!pset.gvars)
+ 		{
+ 			psql_error("\\%s: missing required argument\n", cmd);
+ 			status = PSQL_CMD_NOSEND;
+ 		}
+ 		else if (error)
+ 		{
+ 			psql_error("\\%s: syntax error\n", cmd);
+ 			status = PSQL_CMD_NOSEND;
+ 			tglist_free(pset.gvars);
+ 			pset.gvars = NULL;
+ 		}
+ 		else
+ 			status = PSQL_CMD_SEND;
+ 	}
+ 
  	/* help */
  	else if (strcmp(cmd, "h") == 0 || strcmp(cmd, "help") == 0)
  	{
*** a/src/bin/psql/command.h
--- b/src/bin/psql/command.h
***************
*** 16,21 **** typedef enum _backslashResult
--- 16,22 ----
  {
  	PSQL_CMD_UNKNOWN = 0,		/* not done parsing yet (internal only) */
  	PSQL_CMD_SEND,				/* query complete; send off */
+ 	PSQL_CMD_NOSEND,			/* query complete, don't send */
  	PSQL_CMD_SKIP_LINE,			/* keep building query */
  	PSQL_CMD_TERMINATE,			/* quit program */
  	PSQL_CMD_NEWEDIT,			/* query buffer was changed (e.g., via \e) */
*** a/src/bin/psql/common.c
--- b/src/bin/psql/common.c
***************
*** 826,831 **** PrintQueryResults(PGresult *results)
--- 826,928 ----
  	return success;
  }
  
+ /*
+  * StoreQueryResult: store first row of result to selected variables
+  *
+  * Note: Utility function for use by SendQuery() only.
+  *
+  * Returns true if the query executed sucessfully, false otherwise.
+  */
+ static bool
+ StoreQueryResult(PGresult *result)
+ {
+ 	bool success;
+ 
+ 	switch (PQresultStatus(result))
+ 	{
+ 		case PGRES_TUPLES_OK:
+ 			{
+ 				int	i;
+ 
+ 				if (PQntuples(result) < 1)
+ 				{
+ 					psql_error("no data found\n");
+ 					success = false;
+ 				}
+ 				else if (PQntuples(result) > 1)
+ 				{
+ 					psql_error("too many rows\n");
+ 					success = false;
+ 				}
+ 				else
+ 				{
+ 					TargetListData *iter = (TargetListData *) pset.gvars;
+ 
+ 					success = true;
+ 
+ 					for (i = 0; i < PQnfields(result); i++)
+ 					{
+ 						if (!iter)
+ 						{
+ 							psql_error("to few target variables\n");
+ 							success = false;
+ 							break;
+ 						}
+ 
+ 						if (iter->name)
+ 						{
+ 							if (!SetVariable(pset.vars, iter->name,
+ 										   PQgetvalue(result, 0, i)))
+ 							{
+ 								psql_error("invalid variable name: \"%s\"",
+ 													iter->name);
+ 								success = false;
+ 								break;
+ 							}
+ 						}
+ 
+ 						iter = iter->next;
+ 					}
+ 
+ 					if (success && iter != NULL)
+ 					{
+ 						psql_error("too many target variables\n");
+ 						success = false;
+ 					}
+ 				}
+ 			}
+ 			break;
+ 
+ 		case PGRES_COMMAND_OK:
+ 		case PGRES_EMPTY_QUERY:
+ 			psql_error("no data found\n");
+ 			success = false;
+ 			break;
+ 
+ 		case PGRES_COPY_OUT:
+ 		case PGRES_COPY_IN:
+ 			psql_error("COPY isnot supported by \\gset command\n");
+ 			success = false;
+ 			break;
+ 
+ 		case PGRES_BAD_RESPONSE:
+ 		case PGRES_NONFATAL_ERROR:
+ 		case PGRES_FATAL_ERROR:
+ 			success = false;
+ 			break;
+ 
+ 		default:
+ 			success = false;
+ 			psql_error("unexpected PQresultStatus: %d\n",
+ 					   PQresultStatus(result));
+ 			break;
+ 	}
+ 
+ 	tglist_free(pset.gvars);
+ 	pset.gvars = NULL;
+ 
+ 	return success;
+ }
  
  /*
   * SendQuery: send the query string to the backend
***************
*** 953,959 **** SendQuery(const char *query)
  
  		/* but printing results isn't: */
  		if (OK && results)
! 			OK = PrintQueryResults(results);
  	}
  	else
  	{
--- 1050,1061 ----
  
  		/* but printing results isn't: */
  		if (OK && results)
! 		{
! 			if (pset.gvars)
! 				OK = StoreQueryResult(results);
! 			else
! 				OK = PrintQueryResults(results);
! 		}
  	}
  	else
  	{
***************
*** 1668,1670 **** expand_tilde(char **filename)
--- 1770,1822 ----
  
  	return *filename;
  }
+ 
+ 
+ /*
+  * Add name of internal variable to query targer list
+  *
+  */
+ TargetList
+ tglist_add(TargetList tglist, const char *name)
+ {
+ 	TargetListData		*tgf;
+ 
+ 	tgf = pg_malloc(sizeof(TargetListData));
+ 	tgf->name = name ? pg_strdup(name) : NULL;
+ 	tgf->next = NULL;
+ 
+ 	if (tglist)
+ 	{
+ 		TargetListData *iter = (TargetListData *) tglist;
+ 
+ 		while (iter->next)
+ 			iter = iter->next;
+ 
+ 		iter->next = tgf;
+ 
+ 		return tglist;
+ 	}
+ 	else
+ 		return (TargetList) tgf;
+ }
+ 
+ /*
+  * Release target list
+  *
+  */
+ void
+ tglist_free(TargetList tglist)
+ {
+ 	TargetListData *iter = (TargetListData *) tglist;
+ 
+ 	while (iter)
+ 	{
+ 		TargetListData *next = iter->next;
+ 
+ 		if (iter->name)
+ 			free(iter->name);
+ 
+ 		free(iter);
+ 		iter = next;
+ 	}
+ }
*** a/src/bin/psql/common.h
--- b/src/bin/psql/common.h
***************
*** 21,26 ****
--- 21,34 ----
  
  #define atooid(x)  ((Oid) strtoul((x), NULL, 10))
  
+ typedef struct _target_field
+ {
+ 	char	   *name;
+ 	struct _target_field *next;
+ } TargetListData;
+ 
+ typedef struct TargetListData *TargetList;
+ 
  /*
   * Safer versions of some standard C library functions. If an
   * out-of-memory condition occurs, these functions will bail out
***************
*** 63,66 **** extern const char *session_username(void);
--- 71,77 ----
  
  extern char *expand_tilde(char **filename);
  
+ extern TargetList  tglist_add(TargetList tglist, const char *name);
+ extern void tglist_free(TargetList tglist);
+ 
  #endif   /* COMMON_H */
*** a/src/bin/psql/help.c
--- b/src/bin/psql/help.c
***************
*** 162,174 **** slashUsage(unsigned short int pager)
  {
  	FILE	   *output;
  
! 	output = PageOutput(94, pager);
  
  	/* if you add/remove a line here, change the row count above */
  
  	fprintf(output, _("General\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\copyright             show PostgreSQL usage and distribution terms\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\g [FILE] or ;         execute query (and send results to file or |pipe)\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\h [NAME]              help on syntax of SQL commands, * for all commands\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\q                     quit psql\n"));
  	fprintf(output, "\n");
--- 162,175 ----
  {
  	FILE	   *output;
  
! 	output = PageOutput(95, pager);
  
  	/* if you add/remove a line here, change the row count above */
  
  	fprintf(output, _("General\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\copyright             show PostgreSQL usage and distribution terms\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\g [FILE] or ;         execute query (and send results to file or |pipe)\n"));
+ 	fprintf(output, _("  \\gset NAME [, NAME [..]] execute query and store result in internal variables\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\h [NAME]              help on syntax of SQL commands, * for all commands\n"));
  	fprintf(output, _("  \\q                     quit psql\n"));
  	fprintf(output, "\n");
*** a/src/bin/psql/mainloop.c
--- b/src/bin/psql/mainloop.c
***************
*** 327,332 **** MainLoop(FILE *source)
--- 327,340 ----
  					/* flush any paren nesting info after forced send */
  					psql_scan_reset(scan_state);
  				}
+ 				else if (slashCmdStatus == PSQL_CMD_NOSEND)
+ 				{
+ 					resetPQExpBuffer(query_buf);
+ 					/* reset parsing state since we are rescanning whole line */
+ 					psql_scan_reset(scan_state);
+ 					line_saved_in_history = true;
+ 					success = false;
+ 				}
  				else if (slashCmdStatus == PSQL_CMD_NEWEDIT)
  				{
  					/* rescan query_buf as new input */
*** a/src/bin/psql/psqlscan.h
--- b/src/bin/psql/psqlscan.h
***************
*** 8,13 ****
--- 8,14 ----
  #ifndef PSQLSCAN_H
  #define PSQLSCAN_H
  
+ #include "common.h"
  #include "pqexpbuffer.h"
  
  #include "prompt.h"
***************
*** 33,39 **** enum slash_option_type
  	OT_SQLIDHACK,				/* SQL identifier, but don't downcase */
  	OT_FILEPIPE,				/* it's a filename or pipe */
  	OT_WHOLE_LINE,				/* just snarf the rest of the line */
! 	OT_NO_EVAL					/* no expansion of backticks or variables */
  };
  
  
--- 34,41 ----
  	OT_SQLIDHACK,				/* SQL identifier, but don't downcase */
  	OT_FILEPIPE,				/* it's a filename or pipe */
  	OT_WHOLE_LINE,				/* just snarf the rest of the line */
! 	OT_NO_EVAL,					/* no expansion of backticks or variables */
! 	OT_VARLIST				/* returns variable's identifier or comma */
  };
  
  
***************
*** 59,64 **** extern char *psql_scan_slash_option(PsqlScanState state,
--- 61,70 ----
  					   char *quote,
  					   bool semicolon);
  
+ extern TargetList psql_scan_slash_vars(PsqlScanState state,
+ 							bool *error);
+ 
+ 
  extern void psql_scan_slash_command_end(PsqlScanState state);
  
  #endif   /* PSQLSCAN_H */
*** a/src/bin/psql/psqlscan.l
--- b/src/bin/psql/psqlscan.l
***************
*** 106,118 **** static char *option_quote;
  static int	unquoted_option_chars;
  static int	backtick_start_offset;
  
  
  /* Return values from yylex() */
  #define LEXRES_EOL			0	/* end of input */
  #define LEXRES_SEMI			1	/* command-terminating semicolon found */
! #define LEXRES_BACKSLASH	2	/* backslash command start */
! #define LEXRES_OK			3	/* OK completion of backslash argument */
! 
  
  int	yylex(void);
  
--- 106,123 ----
  static int	unquoted_option_chars;
  static int	backtick_start_offset;
  
+ TargetList gvars;
+ 
  
  /* Return values from yylex() */
  #define LEXRES_EOL			0	/* end of input */
  #define LEXRES_SEMI			1	/* command-terminating semicolon found */
! #define LEXRES_COMMA			2
! #define LEXRES_BACKSLASH	3	/* backslash command start */
! #define LEXRES_IDENT			4	/* valid internal variable identifier */
! #define LEXRES_OK			5	/* OK completion of backslash argument */
! #define LEXRES_ERROR			6
! #define LEXRES_NONE			7
  
  int	yylex(void);
  
***************
*** 167,172 **** static void escape_variable(bool as_ident);
--- 172,178 ----
   *  <xdolq> $foo$ quoted strings
   *  <xui> quoted identifier with Unicode escapes
   *  <xus> quoted string with Unicode escapes
+  *  <xvl> comma separated list of variables
   *
   * Note: we intentionally don't mimic the backend's <xeu> state; we have
   * no need to distinguish it from <xe> state, and no good way to get out
***************
*** 183,188 **** static void escape_variable(bool as_ident);
--- 189,195 ----
  %x xdolq
  %x xui
  %x xus
+ %x xvl
  /* Additional exclusive states for psql only: lex backslash commands */
  %x xslashcmd
  %x xslashargstart
***************
*** 628,633 **** other			.
--- 635,660 ----
  					ECHO;
  				}
  
+ <xvl>{
+ 
+ {identifier}	{
+ 					gvars = tglist_add(gvars, yytext);
+ 					return LEXRES_IDENT;
+ 				}
+ 
+ ","		{
+ 					return LEXRES_COMMA;
+ 				}
+ 
+ {horiz_space}+	{ }
+ 
+ . |
+ \n		{
+ 					return LEXRES_ERROR;
+ 				}
+ 
+ }
+ 
  {xufailed}	{
  					/* throw back all but the initial u/U */
  					yyless(1);
***************
*** 1449,1454 **** psql_scan_slash_command(PsqlScanState state)
--- 1476,1550 ----
  }
  
  /*
+  * returns identifier from identifier list
+  *
+  *    when comma_expected is true, when we require comma before identifier
+  *    error is true, when unexpected char was identified or missing
+  *        comma.
+  *
+  */
+ TargetList
+ psql_scan_slash_vars(PsqlScanState state,
+ 						bool *error)
+ {
+ 	PQExpBufferData mybuf;
+ 	int			lexresult = LEXRES_NONE;
+ 	int		lexresult_prev;
+ 	bool	is_lexer_error = false;
+ 
+ 
+ 	/* Must be scanning already */
+ 	psql_assert(state->scanbufhandle);
+ 
+ 	/* Set up static variables that will be used by yylex */
+ 	cur_state = state;
+ 	output_buf = &mybuf;
+ 
+ 	if (state->buffer_stack != NULL)
+ 		yy_switch_to_buffer(state->buffer_stack->buf);
+ 	else
+ 		yy_switch_to_buffer(state->scanbufhandle);
+ 
+ 	gvars = NULL;
+ 
+ 	do
+ 	{
+ 		lexresult_prev = lexresult;
+ 
+ 		BEGIN(xvl);
+ 		lexresult = yylex();
+ 
+ 		/* read to end */
+ 		if (is_lexer_error)
+ 			continue;
+ 
+ 		if (lexresult == LEXRES_ERROR)
+ 		{
+ 			is_lexer_error = true;
+ 			continue;
+ 		}
+ 
+ 		if (lexresult_prev == LEXRES_IDENT && lexresult == LEXRES_IDENT)
+ 		{
+ 			is_lexer_error = true;
+ 			continue;
+ 		}
+ 
+ 		if (!is_lexer_error && (lexresult_prev == LEXRES_COMMA || lexresult_prev == LEXRES_NONE)
+ 				&& lexresult == LEXRES_COMMA)
+ 			gvars = tglist_add(gvars, NULL);
+ 
+ 	} while (lexresult != LEXRES_EOL);
+ 
+ 	if (!is_lexer_error && lexresult_prev == LEXRES_COMMA)
+ 		gvars = tglist_add(gvars, NULL);
+ 
+ 	*error = is_lexer_error;
+ 
+ 	return gvars;
+ }
+ 
+ /*
   * Parse off the next argument for a backslash command, and return it as a
   * malloc'd string.  If there are no more arguments, returns NULL.
   *
*** a/src/bin/psql/settings.h
--- b/src/bin/psql/settings.h
***************
*** 9,14 ****
--- 9,15 ----
  #define SETTINGS_H
  
  
+ #include "common.h"
  #include "variables.h"
  #include "print.h"
  
***************
*** 73,78 **** typedef struct _psqlSettings
--- 74,80 ----
  	printQueryOpt popt;
  
  	char	   *gfname;			/* one-shot file output argument for \g */
+ 	TargetList  gvars;			/* one-shot target list argument for \gset */
  
  	bool		notty;			/* stdin or stdout is not a tty (as determined
  								 * on startup) */
*** a/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c
--- b/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c
***************
*** 811,817 **** psql_completion(char *text, int start, int end)
  		"\\dF", "\\dFd", "\\dFp", "\\dFt", "\\dg", "\\di", "\\dl", "\\dL",
  		"\\dn", "\\do", "\\dp", "\\drds", "\\ds", "\\dS", "\\dt", "\\dT", "\\dv", "\\du",
  		"\\e", "\\echo", "\\ef", "\\encoding",
! 		"\\f", "\\g", "\\h", "\\help", "\\H", "\\i", "\\ir", "\\l",
  		"\\lo_import", "\\lo_export", "\\lo_list", "\\lo_unlink",
  		"\\o", "\\p", "\\password", "\\prompt", "\\pset", "\\q", "\\qecho", "\\r",
  		"\\set", "\\sf", "\\t", "\\T",
--- 811,817 ----
  		"\\dF", "\\dFd", "\\dFp", "\\dFt", "\\dg", "\\di", "\\dl", "\\dL",
  		"\\dn", "\\do", "\\dp", "\\drds", "\\ds", "\\dS", "\\dt", "\\dT", "\\dv", "\\du",
  		"\\e", "\\echo", "\\ef", "\\encoding",
! 		"\\f", "\\g", "\\gset", "\\h", "\\help", "\\H", "\\i", "\\ir", "\\l",
  		"\\lo_import", "\\lo_export", "\\lo_list", "\\lo_unlink",
  		"\\o", "\\p", "\\password", "\\prompt", "\\pset", "\\q", "\\qecho", "\\r",
  		"\\set", "\\sf", "\\t", "\\T",