Thread: bool type could be better documented

Dave E Martin (xxiii@cyberdude.com) reports a bug with a severity of 4
The lower the number the more severe it is.

Short Description
bool type could be better documented

Long Description
The documentation in both 7.1 and 7.0.3 talks about the bool type but both fail to actually mention the name(s) of the
typein the section on booleans. 

presumably its called 'boolean' based on the description, but it could be clearer. one has to refer to table 3-1 to
makesure. (for instance, the description of 'money' makes it clear via the table, that the type is called 'money').
perhapsif the first sentence were changed from 
"Postgres supports the SQL99 boolean type" to "Postgres supports the SQL99 <BOLD>boolean</BOLD> type" (or quotes or
something;whenever its being used as a name, and not to represent "concept of true/false state"). Its a bit like
talkingabout a car which is named car... its obvious to the writer, but to the reader they just assume "concept of
automobile"whenever they hear car, and never realize that its actually named "car". 


Sample Code
http://www.postgresql.org/devel-corner/docs/user/datatype-boolean.htm

No file was uploaded with this report

pgsql-bugs@postgresql.org writes:

> The documentation in both 7.1 and 7.0.3 talks about the bool type but
> both fail to actually mention the name(s) of the type in the section
> on booleans.
>
> presumably its called 'boolean' based on the description, but it could
> be clearer. one has to refer to table 3-1 to make sure. (for instance,
> the description of 'money' makes it clear via the table, that the type
> is called 'money').  perhaps if the first sentence were changed from
> "Postgres supports the SQL99 boolean type" to "Postgres supports the
> SQL99 <BOLD>boolean</BOLD> type" (or quotes or something; whenever its
> being used as a name, and not to represent "concept of true/false
> state").

Well, actually it says

   <para>
    <productname>Postgres</productname> supports the
    <acronym>SQL99</acronym> <type>boolean</type> type.
    <type>boolean</type> can have one of only two states: 'true' or
    'false'.  A third state, 'unknown', is represented by the SQL NULL
    state. <type>boolean</type> can be used in any boolean expression,
    and boolean expressions always evaluate to a result compatible
    with this type.
   </para>

but <type> doesn't actually alter the font.  Maybe monospaced would be
appropriate?  Actually, the issue might be served better by showing an
example.

> Its a bit like talking about a car which is named car... its
> obvious to the writer, but to the reader they just assume "concept of
> automobile" whenever they hear car, and never realize that its
> actually named "car".

I understand.

--
Peter Eisentraut      peter_e@gmx.net       http://yi.org/peter-e/