From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Matthias =?utf-8?Q?H=C3=B6rmann?= <matthias.hoermann@saltation.com>
cc: Daniel Gustafsson <daniel@yesql.se>, pgsql-bugs@lists.postgresql.org
Subject: Re: BUG #19042: Option --help not recognized at the end of command
 line in pg_restore
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References: <19042-347869ae37c993f4@postgresql.org>
 <144DDCC5-8EB1-4AA2-91FB-36916898A86F@yesql.se>
 <aLgrFiwZcwCw1giD@saltation.com>
Comments: In-reply-to Matthias =?utf-8?Q?H=C3=B6rmann?=
 <matthias.hoermann@saltation.com>
	message dated "Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:48:38 +0200"
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Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:57:53 -0400
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Matthias =3D?utf-8?Q?H=3DC3=3DB6rmann?=3D <matthias.hoermann@saltation.com=
> writes:
> The 2025-09-03 13:45:15, Daniel Gustafsson wrote:
>> This is the intended behaviour, --help (and --version) is parsed specia=
lly and
>> must be the first parameter. We do this for all command line utilities.

> Well, the use-case that comes up quite often for me (for any commands,
> not just postgres) is that I add parameters I know or remember from my
> last look at --help and then want to check again what else to add, for
> that it is useful to be able to use --help as the last parameter.

FWIW, I agree with this.  While I don't try to do that with PG
utilities (since I know it doesn't work), I frequently rely on that
behavior of our configure script.  I'd be in favor of recognizing
--help (though probably not -?) in any argument position.  Less sure
about --version.

			regards, tom lane