Thread: Re: PGSQL - FAQ 4.1
OK, can someone comment on this email I received. I am confused myself. FAQ item 4.1 says: > 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats. Does locale only control dates? If so, why the mention of commas? This item was there before I started maintaining the FAQ. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carsten Grewe wrote: > Hi Bruce! > > Below you'll find a question I asked to the pgsql-general list. I > missunderstood FAQ 4.1. Maybe it's just me - maybe the answer to the FAQ is > irritating - it's for you to judge. > > Kind regards and merry Christmas > Carsten > > ---------- forwarded message ---------- > > Subject: Re: [GENERAL] localization > Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:06:20 +0100 > From: Carsten Grewe <DerReisende@schatzis.org> > To: Karel Zak <zakkr@zf.jcu.cz> > > Karel Zak, Freitag, 21. Dezember 2001 10:09: > > On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 10:24:31PM +0100, Carsten Grewe wrote: > > > I am a bit lost here. I have tried to convince pgsql to show numbers with > > > a decimal-comma (german style) instead of the decimal-point. > [snip] > > > > The backend ignore LC_NUMERIC. If you want output numbers in locale > > depend format use to_char() (for example to_char(1234.5, '9G999D9'). > > > > Karel > > Thanks! I know about the Format Functions, but FAQ 4.1 made me believe that > there is a way to influence the backend. > > VVVVVVVVV > 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats. > > Check your locale configuration. PostgreSQL uses the locale setting of the > user that ran the postmaster process. There are postgres and psql SET > commands to control the date format. Set those accordingly for your operating > environment. > VVVVVVVVV > > Kind regards and merry Christmas > Carsten > > ------------------------------------------------------- > -- Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 853-3000+ If your life is a hard drive, | 830 Blythe Avenue + Christ can be your backup. | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania19026
> OK, can someone comment on this email I received. I am confused myself.
> FAQ item 4.1 says:
> > 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats.
> Does locale only control dates? If so, why the mention of commas? This
> item was there before I started maintaining the FAQ.
I think there is confusion on these things, but the FAQ content does not
seem to reduce it much. afaik locale settings affect *nothing* in
date/time, but SET DATESTYLE does. Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or
other settings would affect numeric *input*?
- Thomas
> Carsten Grewe wrote:
> > Hi Bruce!
> >
> > Below you'll find a question I asked to the pgsql-general list. I
> > missunderstood FAQ 4.1. Maybe it's just me - maybe the answer to the FAQ is
> > irritating - it's for you to judge.
> >
> > Kind regards and merry Christmas
> > Carsten
> >
> > ---------- forwarded message ----------
> >
> > Subject: Re: [GENERAL] localization
> > Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:06:20 +0100
> > From: Carsten Grewe <DerReisende@schatzis.org>
> > To: Karel Zak <zakkr@zf.jcu.cz>
> >
> > Karel Zak, Freitag, 21. Dezember 2001 10:09:
> > > On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 10:24:31PM +0100, Carsten Grewe wrote:
> > > > I am a bit lost here. I have tried to convince pgsql to show numbers with
> > > > a decimal-comma (german style) instead of the decimal-point.
> > [snip]
> > >
> > > The backend ignore LC_NUMERIC. If you want output numbers in locale
> > > depend format use to_char() (for example to_char(1234.5, '9G999D9').
> > >
> > > Karel
> >
> > Thanks! I know about the Format Functions, but FAQ 4.1 made me believe that
> > there is a way to influence the backend.
> >
> > VVVVVVVVV
> > 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats.
> >
> > Check your locale configuration. PostgreSQL uses the locale setting of the
> > user that ran the postmaster process. There are postgres and psql SET
> > commands to control the date format. Set those accordingly for your operating
> > environment.
> > VVVVVVVVV
> >
> > Kind regards and merry Christmas
> > Carsten
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
> --
> Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us
> pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 853-3000
> + If your life is a hard drive, | 830 Blythe Avenue
> + Christ can be your backup. | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 3: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate
> subscribe-nomail command to majordomo@postgresql.org so that your
> message can get through to the mailing list cleanly
Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org> writes:
> Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or
> other settings would affect numeric *input*?
No, because we don't accept those settings from the environment;
if you look in main.c, you'll see that only LC_MESSAGES,
LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, and LC_MONETARY are accepted.
to_char does look at additional locale settings, I believe, but in
general we ignore LC_NUMERIC.
regards, tom lane
Tom Lane wrote: > Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org> writes: > > Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or > > other settings would affect numeric *input*? > > No, because we don't accept those settings from the environment; > if you look in main.c, you'll see that only LC_MESSAGES, > LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, and LC_MONETARY are accepted. > > to_char does look at additional locale settings, I believe, but in > general we ignore LC_NUMERIC. Seems I should just remove the FAQ item. -- Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 853-3000+ If your life is a hard drive, | 830 Blythe Avenue + Christ can be your backup. | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania19026
Bruce Momjian wrote: > Tom Lane wrote: > > Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org> writes: > > > Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or > > > other settings would affect numeric *input*? > > > > No, because we don't accept those settings from the environment; > > if you look in main.c, you'll see that only LC_MESSAGES, > > LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, and LC_MONETARY are accepted. > > > > to_char does look at additional locale settings, I believe, but in > > general we ignore LC_NUMERIC. > > Seems I should just remove the FAQ item. OK, I have removed the item. Seemed just too confusing. -- Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 853-3000+ If your life is a hard drive, | 830 Blythe Avenue + Christ can be your backup. | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania19026