Here is a patch that does just that, while maintaining the

"traditional" behavior, so the change should be transparent. Use the
command "\pset pager always" to turn it on. Anything else does the
normal toggle between "on" and "off"

Greg Sabino Mullane

doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml

 <!--
-$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml,v 1.79 2002/10/19 00:22:14 tgl Exp $
+$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml,v 1.80 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
 PostgreSQL documentation
 -->
 
@@ -1456,21 +1456,21 @@ lo_import 152801
 	  <term><literal>pager</literal></term>
 	  <listitem>
 	  <para>
-	  Toggles the use of a pager for query and <application>psql</> help output. If the
-	  environment variable <envar>PAGER</envar> is set, the output
-	  is piped to the specified program. Otherwise a platform-dependent default (such as
+	  Controls use of a pager for query and <application>psql</>
+	  help output. If the environment variable <envar>PAGER</envar>
+	  is set, the output is piped to the specified program.
+	  Otherwise a platform-dependent default (such as
 	  <filename>more</filename>) is used.
 	  </para>
 
 	  <para>
-	  In any case, <application>psql</application> only uses the
-	  pager if it seems appropriate. That means among other things
-	  that the output is to a terminal and that the table would
-	  normally not fit on the screen. Because of the modular nature
-	  of the printing routines it is not always possible to predict
-	  the number of lines that will actually be printed. For that
-	  reason <application>psql</application> might not appear very
-	  discriminating about when to use the pager.
+	  When the pager is off, the pager is not used. When the pager
+	  is on, the pager is used only when appropriate, i.e. the
+	  output is to a terminal and will not fit on the screen.
+	  (<application>psql</> does not do a perfect job of estimating
+	  when to use the pager.) <literal>\pset pager</> turns the
+	  pager on and off. Pager can also be set to <literal>always</>,
+	  which causes the pager to be always used.
 	  </para>
 	  </listitem>
 	  </varlistentry>

src/bin/psql/command.c

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright 2000-2002 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/command.c,v 1.84 2002/10/23 19:23:56 momjian Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/command.c,v 1.85 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
  */
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 #include "command.h"
@@ -1873,11 +1873,18 @@ do_pset(const char *param, const char *value, printQueryOpt *popt, bool quiet)
 	/* toggle use of pager */
 	else if (strcmp(param, "pager") == 0)
 	{
-		popt->topt.pager = !popt->topt.pager;
+		if (value && strcasecmp(value, "always") == 0)
+				popt->topt.pager = 2;
+		else if (popt->topt.pager == 1)
+				popt->topt.pager = 0;
+		else
+				popt->topt.pager = 1;
 		if (!quiet)
 		{
-			if (popt->topt.pager)
+			if (popt->topt.pager == 1)
 				puts(gettext("Using pager is on."));
+			else if (popt->topt.pager == 2)
+				puts(gettext("Using pager is always."));
 			else
 				puts(gettext("Using pager is off."));
 		}

src/bin/psql/common.c

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/common.c,v 1.51 2002/10/29 19:35:33 momjian Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/common.c,v 1.52 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
  */
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 #include "common.h"
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ PageOutput(int lines, bool pager)
 		struct winsize screen_size;
 
 		result = ioctl(fileno(stdout), TIOCGWINSZ, &screen_size);
-		if (result == -1 || lines > screen_size.ws_row)
+		if (result == -1 || lines > screen_size.ws_row || pager > 1)
 		{
 #endif
 			pagerprog = getenv("PAGER");

src/bin/psql/help.c

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/help.c,v 1.60 2002/10/24 01:33:50 momjian Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/help.c,v 1.61 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
  */
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 #include "common.h"
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ struct winsize
 #endif
 
 void
-slashUsage(bool pager)
+slashUsage(unsigned short int pager)
 {
 	FILE	   *output;
 

src/bin/psql/help.h

@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/help.h,v 1.10 2002/10/23 19:23:57 momjian Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/help.h,v 1.11 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
  */
 #ifndef HELP_H
 #define HELP_H
 
 void		usage(void);
 
-void		slashUsage(bool pager);
+void		slashUsage(unsigned short int pager);
 
 void		helpSQL(const char *topic, bool pager);
 

src/bin/psql/print.h

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/print.h,v 1.14 2002/09/04 20:31:36 momjian Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/print.h,v 1.15 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
  */
 #ifndef PRINT_H
 #define PRINT_H
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ typedef struct _printTableOpt
 	enum printFormat format;	/* one of the above */
 	bool		expanded;		/* expanded/vertical output (if supported
 								 * by output format) */
-	bool		pager;			/* use pager for output (if to stdout and
-								 * stdout is a tty) */
+	unsigned short int pager;	/* use pager for output (if to stdout and
+								 * stdout is a tty)
+ 								 * 0=off 1=on 2=always */
 	bool		tuples_only;	/* don't output headers, row counts, etc. */
 	unsigned short int border;	/* Print a border around the table.
 								 * 0=none, 1=dividing lines, 2=full */

src/bin/psql/startup.c

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/startup.c,v 1.68 2002/10/18 22:05:36 petere Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/startup.c,v 1.69 2002/11/08 19:12:21 momjian Exp $
  */
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pset.popt.topt.format = PRINT_ALIGNED;
 	pset.queryFout = stdout;
 	pset.popt.topt.border = 1;
-	pset.popt.topt.pager = true;
+	pset.popt.topt.pager = 1;
 	pset.popt.default_footer = true;
 
 	SetVariable(pset.vars, "VERSION", PG_VERSION_STR);