Producing LaTeX output

12.2015 / Category: How To / Tags: development | psql | sql help

I think I first touched PostgreSQL in 1998 or 1999. It has been a long time, but PostgreSQL keeps inspiring me. I still keep finding cool features which have most likely been around for 15 years or more. Recently, I noticed by coincidence that psql can produce perfect LaTeX code. How cool is that? It's so cool that I decided to share my happiness with people reading my blog.

Here's some test data:

test=# CREATE TABLE cool_feature (a int, b int);
CREATE TABLE
test=# INSERT INTO cool_feature VALUES (1, 2), (3, 4);
INSERT 0 2
test=# TABLE cool_feature;
 a | b
---+---
 1 | 2
 3 | 4
(2 rows)

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test=# CREATE TABLE cool_feature (a int, b int);

CREATE TABLE

test=# INSERT INTO cool_feature VALUES (1, 2), (3, 4);

INSERT 0 2

test=# TABLE cool_feature;

a | b

---+---

1 | 2

3 | 4

(2 rows)

Making psql produce LaTeX is really simple:

test=# pset format latex
Output format is latex.

1 2	test=# pset format latex Output format is latex.

From now on the output will be returned in LaTeX format:

test=# TABLE cool_feature;
begin{tabular}{r | r}
textit{a} & textit{b} \
hline
1 & 2 \
3 & 4 \
end{tabular}

noindent (2 rows) \

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test=# TABLE cool_feature;

begin{tabular}{r | r}

textit{a} & textit{b} \

hline

1 & 2 \

3 & 4 \

end{tabular}

noindent (2 rows) \

This is even true for backslash commands:

test=# d
begin{center}
List of relations
end{center}

begin{tabular}{l | l | l | l}
textit{Schema} & textit{Name} & textit{Type} & textit{Owner} \
hline
public & cool_feature & table & hs \
public & pg_stat_statements & view & hs \
public & pgbench_accounts & table & hs \
public & pgbench_branches & table & hs \
public & pgbench_history & table & hs \
public & pgbench_tellers & table & hs \
end{tabular}

noindent (6 rows) \

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test=# d

begin{center}

List of relations

end{center}

begin{tabular}{l | l | l | l}

textit{Schema} & textit{Name} & textit{Type} & textit{Owner} \

hline

public & cool_feature & table & hs \

public & pg_stat_statements & view & hs \

public & pgbench_accounts & table & hs \

public & pgbench_branches & table & hs \

public & pgbench_history & table & hs \

public & pgbench_tellers & table & hs \

end{tabular}

noindent (6 rows) \

PostgreSQL can also produce a variety of other formats, which might be useful to some people: aligned, asciidoc, html, latex, latex-longtable, troff-ms, unaligned, and wrapped.

Find out more about cool psql tricks - read Julian Markwort's blog about using psql to automate repeated tasks: gexec in psql for poweruser practice.

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