</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry id="app-psql-meta-command-gx">
<term><literal>\gx [ (<replaceable class="parameter">option</replaceable>=<replaceable class="parameter">value</replaceable> [...]) ] [ <replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable> ]</literal></term>
<term><literal>\gx [ (<replaceable class="parameter">option</replaceable>=<replaceable class="parameter">value</replaceable> [...]) ] [ |<replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable> ]</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
<literal>\gx</literal> is equivalent to <literal>\g</literal>, except
that it forces expanded output mode for this query, as
if <literal>expanded=on</literal> were included in the list of
<literal>\pset</literal> options. See also <literal>\x</literal>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry id="app-psql-meta-command-help">
<term><literal>\h</literal> or <literal>\help</literal> <literal>[ <replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable> ]</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Gives syntax help on the specified <acronym>SQL</acronym>
command. If <replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable>
is not specified, then <application>psql</application> will list
all the commands for which syntax help is available. If
<replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable> is an
asterisk (<literal>*</literal>), then syntax help on all
<acronym>SQL</acronym> commands is shown.
</para>
<para>
Unlike most other meta-commands, the entire remainder of the line is
always taken to be the argument(s) of <command>\help</command>, and neither
variable interpolation nor backquote expansion are performed in the
arguments.
</para>
<note>
<para>
To simplify typing, commands that consists of several words do
not have to be quoted. Thus it is fine to type <userinput>\help
alter table</userinput>.
</para>
</note>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry id="app-psql-meta-command-html">
<term><literal>\H</literal> or <literal>\html</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Turns on <acronym>HTML</acronym> query output format. If the
<acronym>HTML</acronym> format is already on, it is switched
back to the default aligned text format. This command is for
compatibility and convenience, but see <command>\pset</command>
about setting other output options.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry id="app-psql-meta-command-include">
<term><literal>\i</literal> or <literal>\include</literal> <replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Reads input from the file <replaceable
class="parameter">filename</replaceable> and executes it as
though it had been typed on the keyboard.
</para>
<para>
If <replaceable>filename</replaceable> is <literal>-</literal>
(hyphen), then standard input is read until an EOF indication
or <command>\q</command> meta-command. This can be used to intersperse
interactive input with input from files. Note that Readline behavior
will be used only if it is active at the outermost level.
</para>
<note>
<para>
If you want to see the lines on the screen as they are read you
must set the variable <varname>ECHO</varname> to
<literal>all</literal>.
</para>
</note>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry id="psql-metacommand-if">
<term><literal>\if</literal> <replaceable class="parameter">expression</replaceable></term>
<term><literal>\elif</literal> <replaceable class="parameter">expression</replaceable></term>