Re: TOAST error in 7.4.2 on frequently truncated tables

Tom,

> > DBD::Pg::st execute failed: ERROR:  expected both swapped tables to have
> > TOAST tables at sql_data_xfer.pl line 120, <STDIN> line 2.
>
> Have you done more to this table than TRUNCATE it?
>
> We recognized relatively recently that ALTER DROP COLUMN could drop the
> last/only variable-width column, in which case there is no longer any
> need for a TOAST table.  The 8.0 code for CLUSTER/TRUNCATE copes with
> this possibility but 7.4 doesn't.

Aha!  Yes, the problem is that I dropped the last VARCHAR column, not in that
table but in one that came after it.   Any workaround to fix?

> I'm quite sure you couldn't get this error from anything except CLUSTER
> or TRUNCATE in 7.4 though.  Seems like your client-side code is in error
> to be fingering a plain SELECT as the cause.

Yeah, well, I can't get the client to install Exception module.

--
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco