<!-- doc/src/sgml/color.sgml -->

<appendix id="color">

<title>Color Support</title>

<indexterm zone="color">

<primary>color</primary>

</indexterm>

<para>

Most programs in the PostgreSQL package can produce colorized console

output. This appendix describes how that is configured.

</para>

<sect1 id="color-when">

<title>When Color is Used</title>

<para>

To use colorized output, set the environment variable

<envar>PG_COLOR</envar><indexterm><primary>PG_COLOR</primary></indexterm>

as follows:

<orderedlist>

<listitem>

<para>

If the value is <literal>always</literal>, then color is used.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

If the value is <literal>auto</literal> and the standard error stream

is associated with a terminal device, then color is used.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

Otherwise, color is not used.

</para>

</listitem>

</orderedlist>

</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="color-which">

<title>Configuring the Colors</title>

<para>

The actual colors to be used are configured using the environment variable

<envar>PG_COLORS</envar><indexterm><primary>PG_COLORS</primary></indexterm>

(note plural). The value is a colon-separated list of

<literal><replaceable>key</replaceable>=<replaceable>value</replaceable></literal>

pairs. The keys specify what the color is to be used for. The values are

SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) specifications, which are interpreted by the

terminal.

</para>

<para>

The following keys are currently in use:

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><literal>error</literal></term>

<listitem>

<para>used to highlight the text <quote>error</quote> in error messages</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><literal>warning</literal></term>

<listitem>

<para>used to highlight the text <quote>warning</quote> in warning

messages</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><literal>locus</literal></term>

<listitem>

<para>used to highlight location information (e.g., program name and

file name) in messages</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

<para>

The default value is <literal>error=01;31:warning=01;35:locus=01</literal>

(<literal>01;31</literal> = bold red, <literal>01;35</literal> = bold

magenta, <literal>01</literal> = bold default color).

</para>

<tip>

<para>

This color specification format is also used by other software packages

such as <productname>GCC</productname>, <productname>GNU

coreutils</productname>, and <productname>GNU grep</productname>.

</para>

</tip>

</sect1>

</appendix>

<!ENTITY limits SYSTEM "limits.sgml">

<!ENTITY acronyms SYSTEM "acronyms.sgml">

<!ENTITY color SYSTEM "color.sgml">

<!ENTITY features-supported SYSTEM "features-supported.sgml">

<!ENTITY features-unsupported SYSTEM "features-unsupported.sgml">

&docguide;

&limits;

&acronyms;

&color;

</part>