Re: ISO something like "#if 0 ... #endif" for SQL code

On Mar 10, 2008, at 4:50 PM, Kynn Jones wrote:

> Hi! When it comes to programming SQL, my newbie approach is to
> write my code in a file test.sql, which I test from within psql by
> using
>
> my_db=> \i /some/path/test.sql
>
> ...and (once I'm satisfied with the code) copy and paste it to a
> different file that has the SQL I've written so far for the project.
>
> It's a rather cumbersome system, all the more so because I don't
> have a convenient way to comment out large chunks of code (which
> may include C-style comments).
>
> I'm thinking of something like the trick of surrounding C code with
> pairs of #if 0 and #endif, which effectively comments out code,
> even when it contains /* C-style comments */.
>
> Is there some similar trick for SQL code?

I have been playing with the idea of using cpp to pre-process such
files, and maybe even put them in a Makefile. I don't think there's
any reason that wouldn't be possible with SQL files. Added bonus, you
can use macros in your SQL, for things like environment paths (for
including other SQL files for example) etc.

Alban Hertroys

--
If you can't see the forest for the trees,
cut the trees and you'll see there is no forest.

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