Re: BUG #19042: Option --help not recognized at the end of command line in pg_restore - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: BUG #19042: Option --help not recognized at the end of command line in pg_restore
Date
Msg-id 804476.1756911473@sss.pgh.pa.us
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In response to Re: BUG #19042: Option --help not recognized at the end of command line in pg_restore  (Matthias Hörmann <matthias.hoermann@saltation.com>)
Responses Re: BUG #19042: Option --help not recognized at the end of command line in pg_restore
Re: BUG #19042: Option --help not recognized at the end of command line in pg_restore
List pgsql-bugs
Matthias =?utf-8?Q?H=C3=B6rmann?= <matthias.hoermann@saltation.com> writes:
> The 2025-09-03 13:45:15, Daniel Gustafsson wrote:
>> This is the intended behaviour, --help (and --version) is parsed specially and
>> must be the first parameter. We do this for all command line utilities.

> Well, the use-case that comes up quite often for me (for any commands,
> not just postgres) is that I add parameters I know or remember from my
> last look at --help and then want to check again what else to add, for
> that it is useful to be able to use --help as the last parameter.

FWIW, I agree with this.  While I don't try to do that with PG
utilities (since I know it doesn't work), I frequently rely on that
behavior of our configure script.  I'd be in favor of recognizing
--help (though probably not -?) in any argument position.  Less sure
about --version.

            regards, tom lane



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