Major newbie

Hi,

I am very new to PostgreSQL and PERL.  I am trying to fix up a system that
has no passwords on the PostgreSQL system by adding passwords.

1.  What is the difference between the 'local' entry in the pg_hba.conf
file and the 'host 127.0.0.1' entry?

2.  Can I add passwords partially to the system?

3.  If I get passwords added, is there some way to specify the passwords on
the 'pgsql' command line without adding the -u switch and specifying (at
the prompt) the user name and the password?

4.  Is a PERL script file coming into the database by the entry (in
pg_hba.conf file) as 'local' or as 'host 127.0.0.1' entry?

5.  How do I add passwords on the database open in the PERL script file so
that the password is specified in the program?

I am not sure if these questions can be answered without knowing a lot more
about our setup, but if someone can write back with questions, then I can
possibly answer them.

TIA,


David