[pgpool-general: 2061] standard_conforming_strings broken by PgPool?

[Andrew Bruce]

Hi folks,

I'm looking at an interesting problem:

I have client software that needs to use the backslash character as an
escape character. For a regular PostgreSQL database, this is not a
problem as the parameter 'standard_conforming_strings' can be turned
'off' and queries such as:

	SELECT '\''; 

will correctly return:

	?column?
	----------
	 '
	(1 row)

However, if I try to do this on the cluster, through PgPool, despite
turning off standard_conforming_strings, the backslash is still treated
as a literal string character, so the result of the above query becomes:

	postgres=# select '\'';
	postgres'#

indicating that the CLI suspects that I have failed to close the single
quotes...

To reproduce:

Connect to the DB cluster using the PgPool IP address:
--- Begin Output from PgPool Connection ---
	sampledb=# select '\'';
	sampledb'# ^C
	sampledb=# set standard_conforming_strings = 'off';
	SET
	sampledb=# select '\'';
	sampledb'# ^C
	sampledb=# \q
--- End Output from PgPool Connection ---


Connect directly to one of the PostgreSQL database servers in the
cluster, bypassing PgPool:
--- Begin Output from Dedicated DB Connection ---
	sampledb=# select '\'';
	sampledb'# ^C
	sampledb=# set standard_conforming_strings = 'off';
	SET
	postgres=# select '\'';
	WARNING:  nonstandard use of \' in a string literal
	LINE 1: select '\'';
	               ^
	HINT:  Use '' to write quotes in strings, or use the escape
string syntax (E'...').
	 ?column?
	----------
	 '
	(1 row)
	sampledb=# \q
--- End Output from Dedicated DB Connection ---

Is this a known issue, or is there something I'm missing here?

Thanks in advance of any helpful advice!

Regards,

Andy Bruce