identifier to the file name,
     for example <filename>~/.psqlrc-&majorversion;</filename> or
     <filename>~/.psqlrc-&version;</filename>.
     The most specific version-matching file will be read in preference
     to a non-version-specific file.
     These version suffixes are added after determining the file path
     as explained above.
    </para>
   </listitem>
  </varlistentry>

  <varlistentry id="app-psql-files-psql-history">
   <term><filename>.psql_history</filename></term>
   <listitem>
    <para>
     The command-line history is stored in the file
     <filename>~/.psql_history</filename>, or
     <filename>%APPDATA%\postgresql\psql_history</filename> on Windows.
    </para>
    <para>
     The location of the history file can be set explicitly via
     the <varname>HISTFILE</varname> <application>psql</application> variable or
     the <envar>PSQL_HISTORY</envar> environment variable.
    </para>
   </listitem>
  </varlistentry>
 </variablelist>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
  <title>Notes</title>

    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
      <para><application>psql</application> works best with servers of the same
       or an older major version.  Backslash commands are particularly likely
       to fail if the server is of a newer version than <application>psql</application>
       itself.  However, backslash commands of the <literal>\d</literal> family should
       work with servers of versions back to 9.2, though not necessarily with
       servers newer than <application>psql</application> itself.  The general
       functionality of running SQL commands and displaying query results
       should also work with servers of a newer major version, but this cannot
       be guaranteed in all cases.
      </para>
      <para>
       If you want to use <application>psql</application> to connect to several
       servers of different major versions, it is recommended that you use the
       newest version of <application>psql</application>.  Alternatively, you
       can keep around a copy of <application>psql</application> from each
       major version and be sure to use the version that matches the
       respective server.  But in practice, this additional complication should
       not be necessary.
      </para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
      <para>
       Before <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 9.6,
       the <option>-c</option> option implied <option>-X</option>
       (<option>--no-psqlrc</option>); this is no longer the case.
      </para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
      <para>
       Before <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.4,
       <application>psql</application> allowed the
       first argument of a single-letter backslash command to start
       directly after the command, without intervening whitespace.
       Now, some whitespace is required.
      </para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
  <title>Notes for Windows Users</title>

 <para>
  <application>psql</application> is built as a <quote>console
  application</quote>.  Since the Windows console windows use a different
  encoding than the rest of the system, you must take special care
  when using 8-bit characters within <application>psql</application>.
  If <application>psql</application> detects a problematic
  console code page, it will warn you at startup. To change the
  console code page, two things are necessary:

   <itemizedlist>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Set the code page by entering <userinput>cmd.exe /c chcp
      1252</userinput>. (1252 is a code page that is appropriate for
      German; replace it with your value.) If you are using Cygwin,
      you can put this command in <filename>/etc/profile</filename>.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      Set the console font to <literal>Lucida Console</literal>, because the
      raster font does not work with the ANSI code page.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </itemizedlist></para>

 </refsect1>