From f7e514d01017a2b56db9d0c970d5e22982545715 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bruce Momjian Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 20:51:44 +0000 Subject: Update FAQ by eliminating non-frequent items like large objects and extending questions. Update wording of various entries. --- doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html | 140 ++++++++++++++------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 38 insertions(+), 102 deletions(-) (limited to 'doc/src') diff --git a/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html b/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html index 2ea68b4864a..9572b2bd83a 100644 --- a/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html +++ b/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ alink="#0000ff">

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL

-

Last updated: Sat Apr 23 14:59:01 EDT 2005

+

Last updated: Sat Apr 23 16:49:43 EDT 2005

Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us) @@ -99,36 +99,24 @@ reused on transaction abort? Why are there gaps in the numbering of my sequence/SERIAL column?
4.12) What is an OID? What is a - TID?
- 4.13) Why do I get the error "ERROR: Memory + CTID?
+ 4.13) Why do I get the error "ERROR: Memory exhausted in AllocSetAlloc()"?
4.14) How do I tell what PostgreSQL version I am running?
- 4.15) Why does my large-object operations get - "invalid large obj descriptor"?
- 4.16) How do I create a column that will + 4.15) How do I create a column that will default to the current time?
- 4.17) How do I perform an outer join?
- 4.18) How do I perform queries using multiple + 4.16) How do I perform an outer join?
+ 4.17) How do I perform queries using multiple databases?
- 4.19) How do I return multiple rows or columns + 4.18) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function?
- 4.20) Why do I get "relation with OID ##### + 4.19) Why do I get "relation with OID ##### does not exist" errors when accessing temporary tables in PL/PgSQL functions?
- 4.21) What encryption options are available?
+ 4.20) What encryption options are available?
-

Extending PostgreSQL

- 5.1) I wrote a user-defined function. When I run - it in psql, why does it dump core?
- 5.2) How can I contribute some nifty new types - and functions to PostgreSQL?
- 5.3) How do I write a C function to return a - tuple?
- 5.4) I have changed a source file. Why does the - recompile not see the change?
-

General Questions

@@ -683,7 +671,7 @@ table?unlimited

If you believe the optimizer is incorrect in choosing a sequential scan, use SET enable_seqscan TO 'off' and - run tests to see if an index scan is indeed faster.

+ run query again to see if an index scan is indeed faster.

When using wild-card operators such as LIKE or ~, indexes can only be used in certain circumstances:

@@ -733,7 +721,6 @@ table?unlimited FROM tab WHERE lower(col) = 'abc'; - This will not use an standard index. However, if you create a expresssion index, it will be used: 
@@ -745,7 +732,7 @@ table?unlimited
     NULL or not?
 
     
You test the column with IS NULL and IS
-    NOT NULL.

+    NOT NULL, like this:

 
 
    SELECT *
@@ -754,7 +741,7 @@ table?unlimited
 

 
    
To sort by the NULL status, use the IS NULL
-   and IS NOT NULL modifiers in your WHERE clause.
+   and IS NOT NULL modifiers in your ORDER BY clause.
    Things that are true will sort higher than things that are false,
    so the following will put NULL entries at the top of the resulting list:

 
@@ -787,9 +774,8 @@ length
     
The first four types above are "varlena" types (i.e., the first
     four bytes on disk are the length, followed by the data). Thus the
     actual space used is slightly greater than the declared size.
-    However, these data types are also subject to compression or being
-    stored out-of-line by TOAST, so the space on disk
-    might also be less than expected.

+    However, long values are also subject to compression, so the space
+    on disk might also be less than expected.

 
     VARCHAR(n) is best when storing variable-length
     strings and it limits how long a string can be. TEXT
@@ -805,8 +791,7 @@ length
     serial/auto-incrementing field?
 
     
PostgreSQL supports a SERIAL data type. It
-    auto-creates a sequence.  For example,
-    this:

+    auto-creates a sequence.  For example, this:

 
     CREATE TABLE person ( 
         id   SERIAL, 
@@ -815,11 +800,12 @@ length
 

 
     is automatically translated into this: 
+
 
     CREATE SEQUENCE person_id_seq;
     CREATE TABLE person ( 
         id   INT4 NOT NULL DEFAULT nextval('person_id_seq'),
-        name TEXT 
+        name TEXT
     );
 

 
@@ -839,17 +825,17 @@ length
     execute("INSERT INTO person (id, name) VALUES (new_id, 'Blaise Pascal')");
- You would then also have the new value stored in - new_id for use in other queries (e.g., as a foreign - key to the person table). Note that the name of the - automatically created SEQUENCE object will be named - <table>_<serialcolumn>_seq, where - table and serialcolumn are the names of your table - and your SERIAL column, respectively. - -

Alternatively, you could retrieve the assigned - SERIAL value with the currval() function - after it was inserted by default, e.g.,

+ You would then also have the new value stored in new_id + for use in other queries (e.g., as a foreign key to the person + table). Note that the name of the automatically created + SEQUENCE object will be named <table>_< + serialcolumn>_seq, where table and serialcolumn + are the names of your table and your SERIAL column, + respectively. + +

Alternatively, you could retrieve the assigned SERIAL + value with the currval() function after it was inserted by + default, e.g.,

     execute("INSERT INTO person (name) VALUES ('Blaise Pascal')");
     new_id = execute("SELECT currval('person_id_seq')");
@@ -871,7 +857,7 @@ length
     transactions.

 
     
4.12) What is an OID? What is
-    a TID?

+    a CTID?
 
     
Every row that is created in PostgreSQL gets a unique
     OID unless created WITHOUT OIDS.
@@ -888,8 +874,8 @@ length
     SERIAL8 is available for storing eight-byte sequence
     values.

 
-    
TIDs are used to identify specific physical rows
-    with block and offset values. TIDs change after rows
+    
CTIDs are used to identify specific physical rows
+    with block and offset values. CTIDs change after rows
     are modified or reloaded. They are used by index entries to point
     to physical rows.

 
@@ -917,23 +903,7 @@ length
 
     
From psql, type SELECT version();

 
-    
4.15) Why does my large-object operations
-    get "invalid large obj descriptor"?

-
-    
You need to put BEGIN WORK and COMMIT
-    around any use of a large object handle, that is, surrounding
-    lo_open ... lo_close.

-
-    
Currently PostgreSQL enforces the rule by closing large object
-    handles at transaction commit. So the first attempt to do anything
-    with the handle will draw invalid large obj descriptor. So
-    code that used to work (at least most of the time) will now
-    generate that error message if you fail to use a transaction.

-
-    
If you are using a client interface like ODBC you
-    may need to set auto-commit off.

-
-    
4.16) How do I create a column that will
+    
4.15) How do I create a column that will
     default to the current time?

 
     
Use CURRENT_TIMESTAMP:

@@ -941,7 +911,7 @@ length
     CREATE TABLE test (x int, modtime TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP );
-

4.17) How do I perform an outer join?

+

4.16) How do I perform an outer join?

PostgreSQL supports outer joins using the SQL standard syntax. Here are two examples:

@@ -964,7 +934,7 @@ length RIGHT, and FULL joins. Ordinary joins are called INNER joins.

-

4.18) How do I perform queries using +

4.17) How do I perform queries using multiple databases?

There is no way to query a database other than the current one. @@ -976,14 +946,14 @@ length connections to different databases and merge the results on the client side.

-

4.19) How do I return multiple rows or +

4.18) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function?

It is easy using set-returning functions, http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/SetReturningFunctions

. -

4.20) Why do I get "relation with OID ##### +

4.19) Why do I get "relation with OID ##### does not exist" errors when accessing temporary tables in PL/PgSQL functions?

@@ -995,7 +965,7 @@ length EXECUTE for temporary table access in PL/PgSQL. This will cause the query to be reparsed every time.

-

4.21) What encryption options are available? +

4.20) What encryption options are available?

-
- -

Extending PostgreSQL

- -

5.1) I wrote a user-defined function. When I - run it in psql, why does it dump core?

- -

The problem could be a number of things. Try testing your - user-defined function in a stand-alone test program first.

- -

5.2) How can I contribute some nifty new - types and functions to PostgreSQL?

- -

Send your extensions to the pgsql-hackers mailing list, - and they will eventually end up in the contrib/ - subdirectory.

- -

5.3) How do I write a C function to return a - tuple?

- -

In versions of PostgreSQL beginning with 7.3, table-returning - functions are fully supported in C, PL/PgSQL, and SQL. See the - Programmer's Guide for more information. An example of a - table-returning function defined in C can be found in - contrib/tablefunc.

- -

5.4) I have changed a source file. Why does - the recompile not see the change?

- -

The Makefiles do not have the proper dependencies for - include files. You have to do a make clean and then another - make. If you are using GCC you can use the - --enable-depend option of configure to have the - compiler compute the dependencies automatically.

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