Bug #513: union all changes char(3) column definition

Rae Stiening (stiening@cannon.astro.umass.edu) reports a bug with a severity of 2
The lower the number the more severe it is.

Short Description
union all changes char(3) column definition

Long Description
Rae Stiening stiening@cannon.astro.umass.edu 11/10/2001
This script demonstrates the incorrect restoration of a
table created by a union under postgresql version 7.1.3.
CHANGE
DROP
CREATE
INSERT 2468415409 1
INSERT 2468415410 1
VACUUM
CHANGE
DROP
SELECT
 rd_flg | cntr
--------+------
 ABC    |    1
 DEF    |    2
(2 rows)

 rd_flg | cntr
--------+------
 ABC    |    1
 DEF    |    2
 ABC    |    1
 DEF    |    2
(4 rows)

DROP
You are now connected as new user postgres.
CREATE
 rd_flg | cntr
--------+------
 A      |    1
 D      |    2
 A      |    1
 D      |    2
(4 rows)

The column rd_flg has not been restored properly. Note that
the column definition has changed from char(3) to character

Sample Code
echo Rae Stiening  stiening@cannon.astro.umass.edu 11/10/2001
echo This script demonstrates the incorrect restoration of a
echo   table created by a union under postgresql version 7.1.3.
psql -c    "revoke select on xyzzy from public" wsdb
psql -c    "drop table xyzzy" wsdb
psql -c    "create table xyzzy (rd_flg char(3),cntr integer)" wsdb
psql -c    "insert into xyzzy values('ABC',1)" wsdb
psql -c    "insert into xyzzy values('DEF',2)" wsdb
psql -c    "vacuum analyze xyzzy" wsdb
psql -c    "revoke select on zzxxyy from public" wsdb
psql -c    "drop table zzxxyy" wsdb
psql -c    "create table zzxxyy as
            select * from xyzzy
            union all
            select * from xyzzy" wsdb
psql -c    "select * from xyzzy" wsdb
psql -c    "select * from zzxxyy" wsdb
pg_dump -t zzxxyy wsdb > zzxxyy.tbl
psql -c    "drop table zzxxyy" wsdb
cat zzxxyy.tbl | psql wsdb
psql -c    "select * from zzxxyy" wsdb
echo The column rd_flg has not been restored properly.  Note that
echo    the column definition has changed from char'('3')' to character


No file was uploaded with this report