PostgreSQL Tutorial
Prev | Chapter 1. Introduction | Next

# Notation

"`...`" or `/usr/local/pgsql/` at the front of a file name is used to represent the path to the Postgres superuser's home directory.

In a command synopsis, brackets ("`[`" and "`]`") indicate an optional phrase or keyword. Anything in braces ("`{`" and "`}`") and containing vertical bars ("`|`") indicates that you must choose one.

In examples, parentheses ("`(`" and "`)`") are used to group boolean expressions. "`|`" is the boolean operator OR.

Examples will show commands executed from various accounts and programs. Commands executed from the root account will be preceeded with "`>`". Commands executed from the Postgres superuser account will be preceeded with "`%`", while commands executed from an unprivileged user's account will be preceeded with "`$`". SQL commands will be preceeded with "`=>`" or will have no leading prompt, depending on the context.

> Note: At the time of writing (Postgres v7.0) the notation for flagging commands is not universally consistant throughout the documentation set. Please report problems to the Documentation Mailing List.

Prev | Home | Next
Terminology | Up | Problem Reporting Guidelines