Discover pg_ctl on Windows without --postgresql-exec - closes #1399 by tboy1337 · Pull Request #1437 · dbfixtures/pytest-postgresql

tboy1337 · 2026-09-01T12:22:25Z

Windows installs can now start postgresql_proc without --postgresql-exec. The plugin used to default to a Linux pg_ctl path, then ask pg_config, which the Windows installer typically leaves off PATH.

Fixes #1399.

Test plan

Unit tests for Program Files (newest version first), PATH fallback, and the empty Windows default
Windows CI green without --postgresql-exec (single-postgres-windows and Windows async jobs)

Summary by CodeRabbit

New Features
- Improved automatic pg_ctl discovery across Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Windows PostgreSQL installations can now be detected without requiring --postgresql-exec.
- Discovery checks configured paths, PostgreSQL binaries, Windows installations and PATH.
Bug Fixes
- Error messages now identify the locations checked when PostgreSQL cannot be found.
- Improved handling of executable paths across platforms.
Documentation
- Updated configuration guidance and release notes to describe discovery order and fallback behaviour.

…res#1399 The Linux default path never exists on Windows, and pg_config is often not on PATH, so the fixture could not start a server without an explicit executable.

coderabbitai · 2026-09-01T12:23:12Z

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pytest_postgresql/factories/_pg.py

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The change adds platform-aware pg_ctl discovery. It checks configured and pg_config paths, Windows PostgreSQL installations, and PATH. It updates error reporting, tests, CI workflows, and documentation.

Changes

Cross-platform pg_ctl discovery

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Platform defaults and discovery errors `pytest_postgresql/plugin.py`, `pytest_postgresql/exceptions.py`, `pytest_postgresql/factories/_pg.py`	Windows uses an empty executable default. Discovery failures now report causes and checked locations.
Ordered executable discovery `pytest_postgresql/factories/_pg.py`, `tests/test_pg_exe.py`	`_pg_exe` checks configured paths, `pg_config`, Windows Program Files installations, and PATH. Tests cover ordering, fallbacks, defaults, executable validation, and error handling.
CI and discovery documentation `.github/workflows/*`, `README.rst`, `newsfragments/1399.feature.rst`, `tests/test_windows_compatibility.py`	CI removes the local Windows detection step, uses platform-specific pytest arguments, quotes environment-file paths, and documents the new discovery order.

Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~25 minutes

Merge Risk: 🔵 Low · up to 292d3

The change enables Windows PostgreSQL startup without an explicit executable path and is mergeable with owner awareness of a bounded release-note generation issue caused by the feature fragment location.

Sequence Diagram(s)

sequenceDiagram
  participant PytestFactory
  participant PgConfig
  participant WindowsInstallations
  participant PATH
  PytestFactory->>PgConfig: Check configured executable and pg_config bindir
  PgConfig-->>PytestFactory: Return executable or failure cause
  PytestFactory->>WindowsInstallations: Probe newest PostgreSQL installation
  WindowsInstallations-->>PytestFactory: Return pg_ctl.exe or no match
  PytestFactory->>PATH: Search PG_CTL_NAMES with shutil.which
  PATH-->>PytestFactory: Return executable or no match

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 6

✅ Passed checks (6 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly summarises the main change: Windows `pg_ctl` discovery without `--postgresql-exec`.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	The changes satisfy issue `#1399`. They provide a Windows-specific empty default, search PostgreSQL installations under `%ProgramFiles%` in newest-version-first order, fall back to `shutil.which("pg_ctl…
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	The changes remain within scope. Workflow updates, documentation, release notes, exception handling, and test changes support the new cross-platform `pg_ctl` discovery behaviour and Windows CI coverag…
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	Docstring coverage is 100.00% which is sufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%. Docstring coverage is scoped to functions touched by this diff. Analyzed 43 functions across 5 files.
Newsfragment Check	✅ Passed	A newsfragment was added: `newsfragments/1399.feature.rst`. `pyproject.toml` defines `feature` as a valid Towncrier type. The filename matches `[issue_number].[type].rst`, and the fragment documents t…

Full details: Linked Issues check

Explanation

The changes satisfy issue #1399. They provide a Windows-specific empty default, search PostgreSQL installations under %ProgramFiles% in newest-version-first order, fall back to shutil.which("pg_ctl"), remove the Windows CI override, delete the custom detection action, and add relevant tests.

Full details: Out of Scope Changes check

Explanation

The changes remain within scope. Workflow updates, documentation, release notes, exception handling, and test changes support the new cross-platform pg_ctl discovery behaviour and Windows CI coverage.

Full details: Newsfragment Check

Explanation

A newsfragment was added: newsfragments/1399.feature.rst. pyproject.toml defines feature as a valid Towncrier type. The filename matches [issue_number].[type].rst, and the fragment documents the Windows pg_ctl discovery feature. The PR is not trivial.

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codecov · 2026-09-01T12:26:53Z

Codecov Report

✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests.

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coderabbitai

Actionable comments posted: 2

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Inline comments:
In `@newsfragments/1399.feature.rst`:
- Around line 1-4: Move the news fragment into the newsfragments/feature
directory and retain a valid issue-based or orphan filename, preserving its
existing announcement text.

In `@README.rst`:
- Around line 450-451: Replace doubled backslashes with single backslashes in
the RST path literals in README.rst lines 450-451 and
newsfragments/1399.feature.rst lines 2-4, preserving the documented Windows
paths and all other text.

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📒 Files selected for processing (11)

.github/actions/detect-pg-ctl/action.yml
.github/workflows/async-postgres.yml
.github/workflows/single-postgres-windows.yml
.github/workflows/single-postgres.yml
README.rst
newsfragments/1399.feature.rst
pytest_postgresql/exceptions.py
pytest_postgresql/factories/_pg.py
pytest_postgresql/plugin.py
tests/test_pg_exe.py
tests/test_windows_compatibility.py

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…show the real Program Files path.

tboy1337 · 2026-09-01T13:05:42Z

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coderabbitai · 2026-09-01T13:05:49Z

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fizyk · 2026-09-02T20:08:26Z

Thanks!

Discover pg_ctl on Windows without --postgresql-exec - closes dbfixtu…

5482479

…res#1399 The Linux default path never exists on Windows, and pg_config is often not on PATH, so the fixture could not start a server without an explicit executable.

Cover remaining pg_ctl discovery branches for patch coverage.

1a1ebae

coderabbitai Bot reviewed Sep 1, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread newsfragments/1399.feature.rst

Comment thread README.rst Outdated

Use single backslashes in RST Windows path literals so rendered docs …

ebd506c

…show the real Program Files path.

fizyk approved these changes Sep 1, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread pytest_postgresql/factories/_pg.py Outdated

Drop the _pg_exe comment that restates the executable check.

292d325

fizyk approved these changes Sep 2, 2026

View reviewed changes

fizyk closed this Sep 2, 2026

fizyk reopened this Sep 2, 2026

fizyk enabled auto-merge September 2, 2026 20:17

fizyk merged commit 5eb5d8b into dbfixtures:main Sep 2, 2026
143 checks passed

tboy1337 deleted the pg-ctl branch September 4, 2026 00:03

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Discover pg_ctl on Windows without --postgresql-exec - closes #1399 - #1437

Discover pg_ctl on Windows without --postgresql-exec - closes #1399#1437
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