print-the-query-buffer-in-psql.md

Print The Query Buffer In psql

I'll often be composing a PostgreSQL query in Vim and decide I want to give it a try in psql. I copy the relevant snippet of SQL to my system buffer and then paste into psql. I'm usually hit with a mess of text like this though:

jbranchaud=# create table nullable_fields (
jbranchaud(#   id serial primary key,
  first varchar,
  last varchar
)
  id serial primary key,
jbranchaud(#   first varchar,
  last varchar
)
  first varchar,
jbranchaud(#   last varchar
)
  last varchar
jbranchaud(# )
)
jbranchaud-#

Yikes. That's not readable. Fortunately, psql provides a command for printing the current contents of the query buffer. By typing \p I'll see a more readable version of what I just pasted in.

jbranchaud-# \p
create table nullable_fields (
  id serial primary key,
  first varchar,
  last varchar
)
jbranchaud-#

After taking another glance at the snippet of SQL, I decide to complete the query to create my new table.

jbranchaud-# ;
CREATE TABLE