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<chapter id="sql-syntax">

<title>SQL Syntax</title>

quote.)

Within an escape string, a backslash character (<literal>\</>) begins a

C-like <firstterm>backslash escape</> sequence, in which the combination

of backslash and following character(s) represents a special byte value.

<literal>\b</literal> is a backspace,

<literal>\f</literal> is a form feed,

<literal>\n</literal> is a newline,

<literal>\r</literal> is a carriage return,

<literal>\t</literal> is a tab.

Also supported are

<literal>\<replaceable>digits</replaceable></literal>, where

<replaceable>digits</replaceable> represents an octal byte value, and

<literal>\x<replaceable>hexdigits</replaceable></literal>, where

<replaceable>hexdigits</replaceable> represents a hexadecimal byte value.

(It is your responsibility that the byte sequences you create are

valid characters in the server character set encoding.) Any other

of backslash and following character(s) represent a special byte

value:

<table id="sql-backslash-table">

<title>Backslash Escape Sequences</title>

<tgroup cols="2">

<thead>

<row>

<entry>Backslash Escape Sequence</>

<entry>Interpretation</entry>

</row>

</thead>

<tbody>

<row>

<entry><literal>\b</literal></entry>

<entry>backspace</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>\f</literal></entry>

<entry>form feed</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>\n</literal></entry>

<entry>newline</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>\r</literal></entry>

<entry>carriage return</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>\t</literal></entry>

<entry>tab</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>

<literal>\<replaceable>o</replaceable></literal>,

<literal>\<replaceable>oo</replaceable></literal>,

<literal>\<replaceable>ooo</replaceable></literal>

(<replaceable>o</replaceable> = 0 - 7)

</entry>

<entry>octal byte value</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry>

<literal>\x<replaceable>h</replaceable></literal>,

<literal>\x<replaceable>hh</replaceable></literal>

(<replaceable>h</replaceable> = 0 - 9, A - F)

</entry>

<entry>hexadecimal byte value</entry>

</row>

</tbody>

</tgroup>

</table>

It is your responsibility that the byte sequences you create are

valid characters in the server character set encoding. Any other

character following a backslash is taken literally. Thus, to

include a backslash character, write two backslashes (<literal>\\</>).

Also, a single quote can be included in an escape string by writing