Really a shame they used the mysql protocol. The mysql command line client is terrible compared to psql, and the mysql lib is much less pleasant to use than libpq.
MySQL is ubiquitous, pgsql less so. Most cross-db tools start with MySQL compatibility first. Regardless of whether a given tool is better for some use case, targeting compatibility with the market leader makes all kinds of sense.
mysql cli has always had reverse search (ctrl+r) because it was built on readline. They actually recently disabled it, indirectly, because they switched to editline. So now you gotta configure it via ~/.editrc
Useful tab completion, more useful commands, catching Ctrl+C like a shell is supposed to do instead of exiting like an asshole, etc. Can you give an example of your opposite experience? I've literally never met someone who has used both and not preferred psql before.
