diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
index 15f5d7424e..fae6984f26 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
@@ -1817,34 +1817,85 @@ lo_import 152801
+
+ Patterns
+
+
+ patterns
+ in psql and pg_dump
+
+
The various \d commands accept a pattern parameter to specify the
- object name(s) to be displayed. * means any
- sequence of characters and ? means any single
- character. (This notation is comparable to Unix shell file name
- patterns.) Advanced users can also use regular-expression
- notations such as character classes, for example [0-9]
- to match any digit. To make any of these
- pattern-matching characters be interpreted literally, surround it
- with double quotes.
+ object name(s) to be displayed. In the simplest case, a pattern
+ is just the exact name of the object. The characters within a
+ pattern are normally folded to lower case, just as in SQL names;
+ for example, \dt FOO will display the table named
+ foo. As in SQL names, placing double quotes around
+ a pattern stops folding to lower case. Should you need to include
+ an actual double quote character in a pattern, write it as a pair
+ of double quotes within a double-quote sequence; again this is in
+ accord with the rules for SQL quoted identifiers. For example,
+ \dt "FOO""BAR" will display the table named
+ FOO"BAR (not foo"bar). Unlike the normal
+ rules for SQL names, you can put double quotes around just part
+ of a pattern, for instance \dt FOO"FOO"BAR will display
+ the table named fooFOObar.
- A pattern that contains an (unquoted) dot is interpreted as a schema
+ Within a pattern, * matches any sequence of characters
+ (including no characters) and ? matches any single character.
+ (This notation is comparable to Unix shell file name patterns.)
+ For example, \dt int* displays all tables whose names
+ begin with int. But within double quotes, *
+ and ? lose these special meanings and are just matched
+ literally.
+
+
+
+ A pattern that contains a dot (.) is interpreted as a schema
name pattern followed by an object name pattern. For example,
- \dt foo*.bar* displays all tables in schemas whose name
- starts with foo and whose table name
- starts with bar. If no dot appears, then the pattern
+ \dt foo*.bar* displays all tables whose table name
+ starts with bar that are in schemas whose schema name
+ starts with foo. When no dot appears, then the pattern
matches only objects that are visible in the current schema search path.
+ Again, a dot within double quotes loses its special meaning and is matched
+ literally.
+
+
+
+ Advanced users can use regular-expression notations such as character
+ classes, for example [0-9] to match any digit. All regular
+ expression special characters work as specified in
+ , except for . which
+ is taken as a separator as mentioned above, * which is
+ translated to the regular-expression notation .*, and
+ ? which is translated to .. You can emulate
+ these pattern characters at need by writing
+ ? for .,
+ (R+|) for
+ R*, or
+ (R|) for
+ R?.
+ Remember that the pattern must match the whole name, unlike the usual
+ interpretation of regular expressions; write * at the beginning
+ and/or end if you don't wish the pattern to be anchored.
+ Note that within double quotes, all regular expression special characters
+ lose their special meanings and are matched literally. Also, the regular
+ expression special characters are matched literally in operator name
+ patterns (i.e., the argument of \do).
Whenever the pattern parameter
is omitted completely, the \d commands display all objects
- that are visible in the current schema search path. To see all objects
- in the database, use the pattern *.*.
+ that are visible in the current schema search path — this is
+ equivalent to using the pattern *.
+ To see all objects in the database, use the pattern *.*.
+