Re: New FAQ questions. minor fixes - Mailing list pgsql-patches

Greg Sabino Mullane wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
>
> Added a new question about sorting with a NULL. Also some minor
> cleanups, especially in regards to some of the http links: is
> some automatic tool messing these up somehow? (many had spaces
> and odd breaks in the middle)

The original is actually in HTML in doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html.  I made the
modifications you suggested in the patch and am attaching the diff.

One problem is wrapping of URL's.  Most are fixed now but I saw at least
on that is still wrapped in the text version.  I use this command for
the HTML to text conversion:

    lynx -force_html -dont_wrap_pre -dump -hiddenlinks=ignore -nolist "$@"

Any ideas on how that can be improved?

--
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 359-1001
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073
Index: FAQ.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html,v
retrieving revision 1.288
retrieving revision 1.291
diff -c -c -r1.288 -r1.291
*** FAQ.html    15 Feb 2005 04:35:37 -0000    1.288
--- FAQ.html    25 Feb 2005 00:45:30 -0000    1.291
***************
*** 10,16 ****
    alink="#0000ff">
      <H1>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL</H1>

!     <P>Last updated: Mon Feb 14 23:35:09 EST 2005</P>

      <P>Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (<A href=
      "mailto:pgman@candle.pha.pa.us">pgman@candle.pha.pa.us</A>)
--- 10,16 ----
    alink="#0000ff">
      <H1>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL</H1>

!     <P>Last updated: Thu Feb 24 19:45:40 EST 2005</P>

      <P>Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (<A href=
      "mailto:pgman@candle.pha.pa.us">pgman@candle.pha.pa.us</A>)
***************
*** 85,91 ****
      searches and case-insensitive regular expression searches? How do I
      use an index for case-insensitive searches?<BR>
       <A href="#4.9">4.9</A>) In a query, how do I detect if a field
!     is <SMALL>NULL</SMALL>?<BR>
       <A href="#4.10">4.10</A>) What is the difference between the
      various character types?<BR>
       <A href="#4.11.1">4.11.1</A>) How do I create a
--- 85,92 ----
      searches and case-insensitive regular expression searches? How do I
      use an index for case-insensitive searches?<BR>
       <A href="#4.9">4.9</A>) In a query, how do I detect if a field
!     is <SMALL>NULL</SMALL>?  How can I sort on whether a field is <SMALL>
!     NULL</SMALL> or not?<BR>
       <A href="#4.10">4.10</A>) What is the difference between the
      various character types?<BR>
       <A href="#4.11.1">4.11.1</A>) How do I create a
***************
*** 162,168 ****
      <P>PostgreSQL Data Base Management System</P>

      <P>Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2005, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
!     Portions Copyright (c) 1994-6 Regents of the University of California</P>

      <P>Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software
      and its documentation for any purpose, without fee, and without a
--- 163,169 ----
      <P>PostgreSQL Data Base Management System</P>

      <P>Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2005, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
!     Portions Copyright (c) 1994-1996 Regents of the University of California</P>

      <P>Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software
      and its documentation for any purpose, without fee, and without a
***************
*** 206,212 ****
      <H4><A name="1.4">1.4</A>) Where can I get PostgreSQL?</H4>

      <P>The primary anonymous ftp site for PostgreSQL is <A href=
!     "ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub">ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub</A>.
      For mirror sites, see our main web site.</P>

      <H4><A name="1.5">1.5</A>) Where can I get support?</H4>
--- 207,213 ----
      <H4><A name="1.4">1.4</A>) Where can I get PostgreSQL?</H4>

      <P>The primary anonymous ftp site for PostgreSQL is <A href=
!     "ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub/">ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub/</A>.
      For mirror sites, see our main web site.</P>

      <H4><A name="1.5">1.5</A>) Where can I get support?</H4>
***************
*** 225,232 ****
      (<I>#postgresqlfr</I>).  There is also a PostgreSQL channel on EFNet.

      <P>A list of commercial support companies is available at <A href=
!     "http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php">http://techdocs.postg
!     resql.org/companies.php</A>.</P>

      <H4><A name="1.6">1.6</A>) How do I submit a bug report?</H4>

--- 226,233 ----
      (<I>#postgresqlfr</I>).  There is also a PostgreSQL channel on EFNet.

      <P>A list of commercial support companies is available at <A href=
!     "http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php">
!     http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php</A>.</P>

      <H4><A name="1.6">1.6</A>) How do I submit a bug report?</H4>

***************
*** 235,241 ****
      http://www.postgresql.org/support/submitbug</A>.</P>

      <P>Also check out our ftp site <A href=
!     "ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub">ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub</A> to
      see if there is a more recent PostgreSQL version.</P>

      <H4><A name="1.7">1.7</A>) What is the latest release?</H4>
--- 236,242 ----
      http://www.postgresql.org/support/submitbug</A>.</P>

      <P>Also check out our ftp site <A href=
!     "ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub/">ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub/</A> to
      see if there is a more recent PostgreSQL version.</P>

      <H4><A name="1.7">1.7</A>) What is the latest release?</H4>
***************
*** 411,417 ****
      href="http://www.php.net">http://www.php.net</A>) is an excellent
      interface.</P>

!     <P>For complex cases, many use the Perl and CGI.pm or mod_perl.</P>

      <H4><A name="2.3">2.3</A>) Does PostgreSQL have a graphical user
      interface?</H4>
--- 412,419 ----
      href="http://www.php.net">http://www.php.net</A>) is an excellent
      interface.</P>

!     <P>For complex cases, many use the Perl and DBD::Pg with CGI.pm or
!     mod_perl.</P>

      <H4><A name="2.3">2.3</A>) Does PostgreSQL have a graphical user
      interface?</H4>
***************
*** 421,430 ****
      href="http://www.pgadmin.org">http://www.pgadmin.org</a>, PgAccess
      <a href="http://www.pgaccess.org"> http://www.pgaccess.org</a>),
      RHDB Admin (<a
!     href="http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/">http://sources.redhat.com/rhd
!     b/ </a>), TORA (<a
!     href="http://www.globecom.net/tora/">http://www.globecom.net/tora/</a>,
!     partly commercial), and Rekall (<a
      href="http://www.rekallrevealed.org/">
      http://www.rekallrevealed.org/</a>). There is also PhpPgAdmin (<a
      href="http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/">
--- 423,431 ----
      href="http://www.pgadmin.org">http://www.pgadmin.org</a>, PgAccess
      <a href="http://www.pgaccess.org"> http://www.pgaccess.org</a>),
      RHDB Admin (<a
!     href="http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/">http://sources.redhat.com/rhdb/
!     </a>), TORA (<a href="http://www.globecom.net/tora/">
!     http://www.globecom.net/tora/</a>, partly commercial), and Rekall (<a
      href="http://www.rekallrevealed.org/">
      http://www.rekallrevealed.org/</a>). There is also PhpPgAdmin (<a
      href="http://phppgadmin.sourceforge.net/">
***************
*** 815,825 ****
  </PRE>

      <H4><A name="4.9">4.9</A>) In a query, how do I detect if a field
!     is <SMALL>NULL</SMALL>?</H4>

      <P>You test the column with <SMALL>IS NULL</SMALL> and <SMALL>IS
      NOT NULL</SMALL>.</P>

      <H4><A name="4.10">4.10</A>) What is the difference between the
      various character types?</H4>
  <BLOCKQUOTE>
--- 816,844 ----
  </PRE>

      <H4><A name="4.9">4.9</A>) In a query, how do I detect if a field
!     is <SMALL>NULL</SMALL>?  How can I sort on whether a field is <SMALL>
!     NULL</SMALL> or not?</H4>

      <P>You test the column with <SMALL>IS NULL</SMALL> and <SMALL>IS
      NOT NULL</SMALL>.</P>

+ <PRE>
+    SELECT *
+    FROM tab
+    WHERE col IS NULL;
+ </PRE>
+
+    <P>To sort by the <SMALL>NULL</SMALL> status, use the <SMALL>IS NULL</SMALL>
+    and <SMALL>IS NOT NULL</SMALL> modifiers in your <SMALL>WHERE</SMALL> clause.
+    Things that are <I>true</I> will sort higher than things that are <I>false</I>,
+    so the following will put NULL entries at the top of the resulting list:</P>
+
+ <PRE>
+    SELECT *
+    FROM tab
+    ORDER BY (col IS NOT NULL)
+ </PRE>
+
      <H4><A name="4.10">4.10</A>) What is the difference between the
      various character types?</H4>
  <BLOCKQUOTE>