doc: libpq connection options can override command-line flags

Reported-by: Alexander Lakhin

Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/16486-b9c93d71c02c4907@postgresql.org

Backpatch-through: 9.5

doc/src/sgml/ref/clusterdb.sgml

@@ -95,7 +95,10 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
         <option>--all</option>) is not used, the database name is read
         from the environment variable <envar>PGDATABASE</envar>.  If
         that is not set, the user name specified for the connection is
-        used.
+        used.  The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can be a <link
+        linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.  If so,
+        connection string parameters will override any conflicting command
+        line options.
        </para>
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_basebackup.sgml

@@ -653,8 +653,9 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
       <term><option>--dbname=<replaceable class="parameter">connstr</replaceable></option></term>
       <listitem>
        <para>
-        Specifies parameters used to connect to the server, as a connection
+        Specifies parameters used to connect to the server, as a <link
-        string. See <xref linkend="libpq-connstring"/> for more information.
+        linkend="libpq-connstring">connction string</link>;  these
+        will override any conflicting command line options.
        </para>
        <para>
         The option is called <literal>--dbname</literal> for consistency with other

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dump.sgml

@@ -1132,14 +1132,10 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
        Specifies the name of the database to connect to. This is
        equivalent to specifying <replaceable
        class="parameter">dbname</replaceable> as the first non-option
-       argument on the command line.
+       argument on the command line.  The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable>
-      </para>
+       can be a <link linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.
-      <para>
+       If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting
-       If this parameter contains an <symbol>=</symbol> sign or starts
+       command line options.
-       with a valid <acronym>URI</acronym> prefix
-       (<literal>postgresql://</literal>
-       or <literal>postgres://</literal>), it is treated as a
-       <parameter>conninfo</parameter> string. See <xref linkend="libpq-connect"/> for more information.
       </para>
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_dumpall.sgml

@@ -552,8 +552,9 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
       <term><option>--dbname=<replaceable class="parameter">connstr</replaceable></option></term>
       <listitem>
        <para>
-        Specifies parameters used to connect to the server, as a connection
+        Specifies parameters used to connect to the server, as a <link
-        string. See <xref linkend="libpq-connstring"/> for more information.
+        linkend="libpq-connstring">connction string</link>;  these
+        will override any conflicting command line options.
        </para>
        <para>
         The option is called <literal>--dbname</literal> for consistency with other

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_isready.sgml

@@ -47,15 +47,11 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
       <term><option>--dbname=<replaceable class="parameter">dbname</replaceable></option></term>
       <listitem>
       <para>
-       Specifies the name of the database to connect to.
+       Specifies the name of the database to connect to. The
-      </para>
+       <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can be a <link
-      <para>
+       linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.  If so,
-       If this parameter contains an <symbol>=</symbol> sign or starts
+       connection string parameters will override any conflicting command
-       with a valid <acronym>URI</acronym> prefix
+       line options.
-       (<literal>postgresql://</literal>
-       or <literal>postgres://</literal>), it is treated as a
-       <parameter>conninfo</parameter> string. See <xref
-       linkend="libpq-connstring"/> for more information.
       </para>
       </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_receivewal.sgml

@@ -252,8 +252,9 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
       <term><option>--dbname=<replaceable class="parameter">connstr</replaceable></option></term>
       <listitem>
        <para>
-        Specifies parameters used to connect to the server, as a connection
+        Specifies parameters used to connect to the server, as a <link
-        string. See <xref linkend="libpq-connstring"/> for more information.
+        linkend="libpq-connstring">connction string</link>;  these
+        will override any conflicting command line options.
        </para>
        <para>
         The option is called <literal>--dbname</literal> for consistency with other

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_recvlogical.sgml

@@ -273,14 +273,16 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
 
     <variablelist>
       <varlistentry>
-       <term><option>-d <replaceable>database</replaceable></option></term>
+       <term><option>-d <replaceable>dbname</replaceable></option></term>
-       <term><option>--dbname=<replaceable>database</replaceable></option></term>
+       <term><option>--dbname=<replaceable>dbname</replaceable></option></term>
        <listitem>
         <para>
-         The database to connect to.  See the description of the actions for
+         The database to connect to.  See the description
-         what this means in detail.  This can be a <application>libpq</application> connection string;
+         of the actions for what this means in detail.
-         see <xref linkend="libpq-connstring"/> for more information.  Defaults
+         The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can be a <link
-         to user name.
+         linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.  If so,
+         connection string parameters will override any conflicting
+         command line options.  Defaults to the user name.
         </para>
        </listitem>
       </varlistentry>

doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_restore.sgml

@@ -156,7 +156,10 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
        <para>
         Connect to database <replaceable
         class="parameter">dbname</replaceable> and restore directly
-        into the database.
+        into the database.  The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can
+        be a <link linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.
+        If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting
+        command line options.
        </para>
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml

@@ -168,15 +168,10 @@ EOF
        Specifies the name of the database to connect to. This is
        equivalent to specifying <replaceable
        class="parameter">dbname</replaceable> as the first non-option
-       argument on the command line.
+       argument on the command line.  The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable>
-      </para>
+       can be a <link linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.
-      <para>
+       If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting
-       If this parameter contains an <symbol>=</symbol> sign or starts
+       command line options.
-       with a valid <acronym>URI</acronym> prefix
-       (<literal>postgresql://</literal>
-       or <literal>postgres://</literal>), it is treated as a
-       <parameter>conninfo</parameter> string. See <xref
-       linkend="libpq-connstring"/> for more information.
       </para>
       </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
@@ -498,7 +493,7 @@ EOF
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Never issue a password prompt.  If the server requires password
-       authentication and a password is not available by other means
+       authentication and a password is not available from other sources
        such as a <filename>.pgpass</filename> file, the connection
        attempt will fail.  This option can be useful in batch jobs and
        scripts where no user is present to enter a password.
@@ -518,13 +513,15 @@ EOF
       <listitem>
       <para>
        Force <application>psql</application> to prompt for a
-       password before connecting to a database.
+       password before connecting to a database, even if the password will
+       not be used.
       </para>
 
       <para>
-       This option is never essential, since <application>psql</application>
+       If the server requires password authentication and a password is not
-       will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands
+       available from other sources such as a <filename>.pgpass</filename>
-       password authentication.  However, <application>psql</application>
+       file, <application>psql</application> will prompt for a
+       password in any case.  However, <application>psql</application>
        will waste a connection attempt finding out that the server wants a
        password.  In some cases it is worth typing <option>-W</option> to avoid
        the extra connection attempt.

doc/src/sgml/ref/reindexdb.sgml

@@ -139,7 +139,10 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
         <option>--all</option>) is not used, the database name is read
         from the environment variable <envar>PGDATABASE</envar>.  If
         that is not set, the user name specified for the connection is
-        used.
+        used.  The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can be a <link
+        linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.  If so,
+        connection string parameters will override any conflicting command
+        line options.
        </para>
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

doc/src/sgml/ref/vacuumdb.sgml

@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
         <option>--all</option>) is not used, the database name is read
         from the environment variable <envar>PGDATABASE</envar>.  If
         that is not set, the user name specified for the connection is
-        used.
+        used.  The <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can be a <link
+        linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.  If so,
+        connection string parameters will override any conflicting command
+        line options.
        </para>
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>