Pager

Pgcli outputs query results in a pager (e.g. less, more). This allows you to easily view large result sets one page at a time.

Configuring the Pager

When starting up, pgcli checks the pager config option in the config file. If it's set, then pgcli uses its value as the pager. If it is commented out, then pgcli will use the PAGER environment variable's value.

Once pgcli is started, you can use the \pager command to change which pager pgcli uses.

> \pager less
PAGER set to less.

Pager Behavior

On macOS and Linux, the pager will default to less for most users. less sometimes has less-than-desirable behavior like clearing the screen, cutting lines off, etc. You can configure less through environment variables in your shell configuration files. Here are some common less options and configuration examples:

• -X leaves file contents on the screen when less exits.
• -F makes less quit if the entire output can be displayed on one screen.
• -R displays ANSI color escape sequences in "raw" form.
• -S disables line wrapping. Side-scroll to see long lines.

# This is a popular option among pgcli users.
export LESS="-XFR"

# Some pgcli users like to disable line wrapping.
export LESS="-SRXF"

If the LESS environment variable is not set, and less is the pager, then the LESS environment variable will automatically be set to -SRXF.