Re: [HACKERS] indexes and floats

> The problem appears to be that the optimizer/executor does not know how
> to evaluate the constant string once-only, and insists on doing a
> sequential scan for some reason. Not really in the parser's hands.
> Remember, the types are all set and the functions are all defined by the
> time the actual optimizer/executor sees anything. There may be a slight
> bit of "optimization" which happens in the parser, but only to shoehorn
> SQL92 into the Postgres backend. Oh, there are some heuristics in the
> parser to fudge the distinctions between char/varchar/text types to
> allow reuse of some of the support code, but that is a Bad Thing in
> principle.
>
> The downside to putting more heuristics into the parser (as opposed to
> upgrading the optimizer/executor to handle the case) is that it embeds
> more assumptions about the _behavior_ of, for example, int4->float8
> conversions and would reduce the flexibility of the extensible type
> system.
>
> istm that we should be focusing on Vadim's hints on what it would take
> to use indices with function calls on constants...

I understand the problem now.  There is code in the optimizer to handle
functions on constants, but it does not appear to be in a place where
index matching can use it.

I will be looking over the code in the next few weeks, but not sure if I
can figure it all out by then.  I have added it to my personal TODO
list.


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