<listitem>
<para>
- <function>PQescapeString</> is an older, deprecated version of
- <function>PQescapeStringConn</>.
<synopsis>
size_t PQescapeString (char *to, const char *from, size_t length);
</synopsis>
</para>
<para>
- The only difference from <function>PQescapeStringConn</> is that
- <function>PQescapeString</> does not take <structname>PGconn</>
- or <parameter>error</> parameters.
+ <function>PQescapeString</> is an older, deprecated version of
+ <function>PQescapeStringConn</>; the difference is that it does
+ not take <parameter>conn</> or <parameter>error</> parameters.
Because of this, it cannot adjust its behavior depending on the
connection properties (such as character encoding) and therefore
<emphasis>it might give the wrong results</>. Also, it has no way
</para>
<para>
- <function>PQescapeString</> can be used safely in
+ <function>PQescapeString</> can be used safely in single-threaded
client programs that work with only one <productname>PostgreSQL</>
connection at a time (in this case it can find out what it needs to
know <quote>behind the scenes</>). In other contexts it is a security
</para>
<para>
- Certain byte values must be escaped when used as part of a
- <type>bytea</type> literal in an <acronym>SQL</acronym> statement.
- <function>PQescapeByteaConn</function> escapes bytes using
- either hex encoding or backslash escaping. See <xref
- linkend="datatype-binary"> for more information.
+ Certain byte values <emphasis>must</emphasis> be escaped (but all
+ byte values <emphasis>can</emphasis> be escaped) when used as part
+ of a <type>bytea</type> literal in an <acronym>SQL</acronym>
+ statement. In general, to escape a byte, it is converted into the
+ three digit octal number equal to the octet value, and preceded by
+ usually two backslashes. The single quote (<literal>'</>) and backslash
+ (<literal>\</>) characters have special alternative escape
+ sequences. See <xref linkend="datatype-binary"> for more
+ information. <function>PQescapeByteaConn</function> performs this
+ operation, escaping only the minimally required bytes.
</para>
<para>
<para>
The only difference from <function>PQescapeByteaConn</> is that
<function>PQescapeBytea</> does not take a <structname>PGconn</>
- parameter. Because of this, <function>PQescapeBytea</> can
- only be used safely in client programs that use a single
- <productname>PostgreSQL</> connection at a time (in this case
- it can find out what it needs to know <quote>behind the
- scenes</>). It <emphasis>might give the wrong results</> if
- used in programs that use multiple database connections (use
- <function>PQescapeByteaConn</> in such cases).
+ parameter. Because of this, it cannot adjust its behavior
+ depending on the connection properties (in particular, whether
+ standard-conforming strings are enabled) and therefore
+ <emphasis>it might give the wrong results</>. Also, it has no
+ way to return an error message on failure.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ <function>PQescapeBytea</> can be used safely in single-threaded
+ client programs that work with only one <productname>PostgreSQL</>
+ connection at a time (in this case it can find out what it needs
+ to know <quote>behind the scenes</>). In other contexts it is
+ a security hazard and should be avoided in favor of
+ <function>PQescapeByteaConn</>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>