From: Murthy Nunna <mnunna@fnal.gov>
To: Pgsql-admin <pgsql-admin@lists.postgresql.org>
Subject: Having trouble passing a shell variable to a query from psql command
 line
Thread-Topic: Having trouble passing a shell variable to a query from psql
 command line
Thread-Index: AdwZDD0W5H2GqrYcR92a7c0xEBctsw==
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:52:06 +0000
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Hello,

Below works:

psql -d mydb -t -A -c "SELECT relkind FROM pg_class WHERE relname =3D 'pg_t=
rigger' ;"
r

I am getting syntax error from following:

echo $SHELL_VAR
pg_trigger

psql -d mydb -t -A -c "SELECT relkind FROM pg_class WHERE relname =3D :'SHE=
LL_VAR' ;" -v SHELL_VAR=3D"$SHELL_VAR"
ERROR:  syntax error at or near ":"
LINE 1: SELECT relkind FROM pg_class WHERE relname =3D :'SHELL_VAR' ;
                                                     ^
Is psql script necessary to pass shell variable?

I appreciate any help you can provide.

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<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Hello,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Below works:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">psql -d mydb -t -A -c &quot;SELECT relkind FROM pg_c=
lass WHERE relname =3D 'pg_trigger' ;&quot;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">r<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">I am getting syntax error from following:<o:p></o:p>=
</p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">echo $SHELL_VAR<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">pg_trigger<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">psql -d mydb -t -A -c &quot;SELECT relkind FROM pg_c=
lass WHERE relname =3D :'SHELL_VAR' ;&quot; -v SHELL_VAR=3D&quot;$SHELL_VAR=
&quot;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">ERROR:&nbsp; syntax error at or near &quot;:&quot;<o=
:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">LINE 1: SELECT relkind FROM pg_class WHERE relname =
=3D :'SHELL_VAR' ;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ^<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Is psql script necessary to pass shell variable?<o:p=
></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">I appreciate any help you can provide.<o:p></o:p></p=
>
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</body>
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