<!--
$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/comment.sgml,v 1.4 2000/04/11 05:39:15 thomas Exp $
Postgres documentation
-->

<refentry id="SQL-COMMENT">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="SQL-COMMENT-TITLE">
   COMMENT
  </refentrytitle>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>
   COMMENT
  </refname>
  <refpurpose>
   Add comment to an object
  </refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 <refsynopsisdiv>
  <refsynopsisdivinfo>
   <date>1999-07-20</date>
  </refsynopsisdivinfo>
  <synopsis>
COMMENT ON
[
  [ DATABASE | INDEX | RULE | SEQUENCE | TABLE | TYPE | VIEW ]
  <replaceable class="PARAMETER">object_name</replaceable> |
  COLUMN <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table_name</replaceable>.<replaceable class="PARAMETER">column_name</replaceable>|
  AGGREGATE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">agg_name</replaceable> <replaceable class="PARAMETER">agg_type</replaceable>|
  FUNCTION <replaceable class="PARAMETER">func_name</replaceable> (<replaceable class="PARAMETER">arg1</replaceable>, <replaceable class="PARAMETER">arg2</replaceable>, ...)|
  OPERATOR <replaceable class="PARAMETER">op</replaceable> (<replaceable class="PARAMETER">leftoperand_type</replaceable> <replaceable class="PARAMETER">rightoperand_type</replaceable>) |
  TRIGGER <replaceable class="PARAMETER">trigger_name</replaceable> ON <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table_name</replaceable>
] IS <replaceable class="PARAMETER">'text'</replaceable>
  </synopsis>
  
  <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-COMMENT-1">
   <refsect2info>
    <date>1999-10-25</date>
   </refsect2info>
   <title>
    Inputs
   </title>
   <para>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">object_name, table_name,
      column_name, agg_name, func_name, op, trigger_name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	The name of the object to be be commented.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">text</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	The comment to add.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
   </para>
  </refsect2>
  
  <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-COMMENT-2">
   <refsect2info>
    <date>1998-09-08</date>
   </refsect2info>
   <title>
    Outputs
   </title>
   <para>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>
COMMENT
       </computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Message returned if the table is successfully commented.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
   </para>
  </refsect2>
 </refsynopsisdiv>

 <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-COMMENT-1">
  <refsect1info>
   <date>1998-10-25</date>
  </refsect1info>
  <title>
   Description
  </title>
  <para>
   <command>COMMENT</command> adds a comment to an object that can be 
    easily retrieved with <application>psql's</application>
    <emphasis>\dd</emphasis> command.
    To remove a comment, use <literal>NULL</literal>.
    Comments are automatically dropped when the object is dropped.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-COMMENT-2">
  <title>
   Usage
  </title>
  <para>
   Comment the table <literal>mytable</literal>:

   <programlisting>
COMMENT ON mytable IS 'This is my table.';
   </programlisting>
  </para>

  <para>
   Some more examples:

   <programlisting>
COMMENT ON DATABASE my_database IS 'Development Database';
COMMENT ON INDEX my_index IS 'Enforces uniqueness on employee id';
COMMENT ON RULE my_rule IS 'Logs UPDATES of employee records';
COMMENT ON SEQUENCE my_sequence IS 'Used to generate primary keys';
COMMENT ON TABLE my_table IS 'Employee Information';
COMMENT ON TYPE my_type IS 'Complex Number support';
COMMENT ON VIEW my_view IS 'View of departmental costs';
COMMENT ON COLUMN my_table.my_field IS 'Employee ID number';
COMMENT ON AGGREGATE my_aggregate float8 IS 'Computes sample variance';
COMMENT ON FUNCTION my_function (datetime) IS 'Returns Roman Numeral';
COMMENT ON OPERATOR ^ (text, text) IS 'Performs intersection of two text';
COMMENT ON TRIGGER my_trigger ON my_table IS 'Used for R.I.';
   </programlisting>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-COMMENT-3">
  <title>
   Compatibility
  </title>
  
  <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-COMMENT-4">
   <refsect2info>
    <date>1998-09-08</date>
   </refsect2info>
   <title>
    SQL92
   </title>
   <para>
    There is no <command>COMMENT</command> in <acronym>SQL92</acronym>.
   </para>
  </refsect2>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>

<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
Local variables:
mode: sgml
sgml-omittag:t
sgml-shorttag:t
sgml-minimize-attributes:nil
sgml-always-quote-attributes:t
sgml-indent-step:1
sgml-indent-data:t
sgml-parent-document:nil
sgml-default-dtd-file:"../reference.ced"
sgml-exposed-tags:nil
sgml-local-catalogs:"/usr/lib/sgml/catalog"
sgml-local-ecat-files:nil
End:
-->
