Index: /trunk/ippTools/src/dettool.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ippTools/src/dettool.c	(revision 10671)
+++ /trunk/ippTools/src/dettool.c	(revision 10672)
@@ -713,4 +713,22 @@
     }
 
+    bool simple = psMetadataLookupBool(&status, config->args, "-simple");
+    if (!status) {
+        psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "failed to lookup value for -simple");
+        psFree(registered);
+        psFree(use_begin);
+        psFree(use_end);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    bool pretend = psMetadataLookupBool(&status, config->args, "-pretend");
+    if (!status) {
+        psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "failed to lookup value for -pretend");
+        psFree(registered);
+        psFree(use_begin);
+        psFree(use_end);
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // search for rawDetrendExps with the specified options
     psArray *detrendExps = rawDetrendExpSelectRowObjects(config->dbh, where, 0);
@@ -719,5 +737,25 @@
     if (!detrendExps) {
         psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "no rawDetrendExp rows found");
-        return false;
+        psFree(registered);
+        psFree(use_begin);
+        psFree(use_end);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (pretend) {
+        // negative simple so the default is true
+        if (!rawDetrendExpPrintObjects(stdout, detrendExps, !simple)) {
+            psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "failed to print array");
+            psFree(detrendExps);
+            psFree(registered);
+            psFree(use_begin);
+            psFree(use_end);
+            return false;
+        }
+        psFree(detrendExps);
+        psFree(registered);
+        psFree(use_begin);
+        psFree(use_end);
+        return true;
     }
 
@@ -726,4 +764,7 @@
         psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "database error");
         psFree(detrendExps);
+        psFree(registered);
+        psFree(use_begin);
+        psFree(use_end);
         return false;
     }
@@ -785,13 +826,4 @@
     }
 
-    bool simple = false;
-    {
-        bool status = false;
-        simple = psMetadataLookupBool(&status, config->args, "-simple");
-        if (!status) {
-            psError(PS_ERR_UNKNOWN, false, "failed to lookup value for -simple");
-            return false;
-        }
-    }
 
     // print the new det_id
Index: /trunk/ippTools/src/dettoolConfig.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/ippTools/src/dettoolConfig.c	(revision 10671)
+++ /trunk/ippTools/src/dettoolConfig.c	(revision 10672)
@@ -129,4 +129,6 @@
     psMetadataAddStr(definebyqueryArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-set_use_end",  0,
             "end of detrend run applicable peroid", NULL);
+    psMetadataAddBool(definebyqueryArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-pretend",  0,
+            "print the exposures that would be included in the detrend run and exit", false);
     psMetadataAddBool(definebyqueryArgs, PS_LIST_TAIL, "-simple",  0,
             "use the simple output format", false);