Conventions
| PostgreSQL 9.6.12 Documentation | |||
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The following conventions are used in the synopsis of a command: brackets ( [ and ] ) indicate optional parts. (In the synopsis of a Tcl command, question marks ( ? ) are used instead, as is usual in Tcl.) Braces ( { and } ) and vertical lines ( | ) indicate that you must choose one alternative. Dots ( ... ) mean that the preceding element can be repeated.
Where it enhances the clarity, SQL commands are preceded by the prompt => , and shell commands are preceded by the prompt $ . Normally, prompts are not shown, though.
An administrator is generally a person who is in charge of installing and running the server. A user could be anyone who is using, or wants to use, any part of the PostgreSQL system. These terms should not be interpreted too narrowly; this book does not have fixed presumptions about system administration procedures.