
OK, can someone comment on this email I received.  I am confused myself.
FAQ item 4.1 says:

> 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats.

Does locale only control dates?  If so, why the mention of commas?  This
item was there before I started maintaining the FAQ.
 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carsten Grewe wrote:
> Hi Bruce!
> 
> Below you'll find a question I asked to the pgsql-general list. I 
> missunderstood FAQ 4.1. Maybe it's just me - maybe the answer to the FAQ is 
> irritating - it's for you to judge.
> 
> Kind regards and merry Christmas
> Carsten
> 
> ----------  forwarded message  ----------
> 
> Subject: Re: [GENERAL] localization
> Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:06:20 +0100
> From: Carsten Grewe <DerReisende@schatzis.org>
> To: Karel Zak <zakkr@zf.jcu.cz>
> 
> Karel Zak, Freitag, 21. Dezember 2001 10:09:
> > On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 10:24:31PM +0100, Carsten Grewe wrote:
> > > I am a bit lost here. I have tried to convince pgsql to show numbers with
> > > a decimal-comma (german style) instead of the decimal-point.
> [snip]
> >
> >  The backend ignore LC_NUMERIC. If you want output numbers in locale
> >  depend format use to_char() (for example to_char(1234.5, '9G999D9').
> >
> >         Karel
> 
> Thanks! I know about the Format Functions, but FAQ 4.1 made me believe that
> there is a way to influence the backend.
> 
> VVVVVVVVV
> 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats.
> 
> Check your locale configuration. PostgreSQL uses the locale setting of the
> user that ran the postmaster process. There are postgres and psql SET
> commands to control the date format. Set those accordingly for your operating
> environment.
> VVVVVVVVV
> 
> Kind regards and merry Christmas
> Carsten
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> 

-- 
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 853-3000
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  830 Blythe Avenue
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026

Thu, 3 Jan 2002 01:37:19 -0500 (EST)
Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>
Re: PGSQL - FAQ 4.1
> OK, can someone comment on this email I received.  I am confused myself.
> FAQ item 4.1 says:
> > 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats.
> Does locale only control dates?  If so, why the mention of commas?  This
> item was there before I started maintaining the FAQ.

I think there is confusion on these things, but the FAQ content does not
seem to reduce it much. afaik locale settings affect *nothing* in
date/time, but SET DATESTYLE does. Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or
other settings would affect numeric *input*?

                      - Thomas

> Carsten Grewe wrote:
> > Hi Bruce!
> >
> > Below you'll find a question I asked to the pgsql-general list. I
> > missunderstood FAQ 4.1. Maybe it's just me - maybe the answer to the FAQ is
> > irritating - it's for you to judge.
> >
> > Kind regards and merry Christmas
> > Carsten
> >
> > ----------  forwarded message  ----------
> >
> > Subject: Re: [GENERAL] localization
> > Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:06:20 +0100
> > From: Carsten Grewe <DerReisende@schatzis.org>
> > To: Karel Zak <zakkr@zf.jcu.cz>
> >
> > Karel Zak, Freitag, 21. Dezember 2001 10:09:
> > > On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 10:24:31PM +0100, Carsten Grewe wrote:
> > > > I am a bit lost here. I have tried to convince pgsql to show numbers with
> > > > a decimal-comma (german style) instead of the decimal-point.
> > [snip]
> > >
> > >  The backend ignore LC_NUMERIC. If you want output numbers in locale
> > >  depend format use to_char() (for example to_char(1234.5, '9G999D9').
> > >
> > >         Karel
> >
> > Thanks! I know about the Format Functions, but FAQ 4.1 made me believe that
> > there is a way to influence the backend.
> >
> > VVVVVVVVV
> > 4.1) Why is system confused about commas, decimal points, and date formats.
> >
> > Check your locale configuration. PostgreSQL uses the locale setting of the
> > user that ran the postmaster process. There are postgres and psql SET
> > commands to control the date format. Set those accordingly for your operating
> > environment.
> > VVVVVVVVV
> >
> > Kind regards and merry Christmas
> > Carsten
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> >
> 
> --
>   Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
>   pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 853-3000
>   +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  830 Blythe Avenue
>   +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026
> 
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 3: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate
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> message can get through to the mailing list cleanly

Thu, 03 Jan 2002 15:11:13 +0000
Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org>
Re: PGSQL - FAQ 4.1
Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org> writes:
> Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or
> other settings would affect numeric *input*?

No, because we don't accept those settings from the environment;
if you look in main.c, you'll see that only LC_MESSAGES, 
LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, and LC_MONETARY are accepted.

to_char does look at additional locale settings, I believe, but in
general we ignore LC_NUMERIC.

			regards, tom lane

Thu, 03 Jan 2002 10:51:06 -0500
Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Re: PGSQL - FAQ 4.1 
Tom Lane wrote:
> Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org> writes:
> > Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or
> > other settings would affect numeric *input*?
> 
> No, because we don't accept those settings from the environment;
> if you look in main.c, you'll see that only LC_MESSAGES, 
> LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, and LC_MONETARY are accepted.
> 
> to_char does look at additional locale settings, I believe, but in
> general we ignore LC_NUMERIC.

Seems I should just remove the FAQ item.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 853-3000
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  830 Blythe Avenue
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026

Thu, 3 Jan 2002 12:27:01 -0500 (EST)
Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>
Re: PGSQL - FAQ 4.1
Bruce Momjian wrote:
> Tom Lane wrote:
> > Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@fourpalms.org> writes:
> > > Is it the case that LC_NUMERIC or
> > > other settings would affect numeric *input*?
> > 
> > No, because we don't accept those settings from the environment;
> > if you look in main.c, you'll see that only LC_MESSAGES, 
> > LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, and LC_MONETARY are accepted.
> > 
> > to_char does look at additional locale settings, I believe, but in
> > general we ignore LC_NUMERIC.
> 
> Seems I should just remove the FAQ item.

OK, I have removed the item.  Seemed just too confusing.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 853-3000
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  830 Blythe Avenue
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026

Fri, 4 Jan 2002 00:45:03 -0500 (EST)
Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>
Re: PGSQL - FAQ 4.1