Re: Add support for logging the current role

* Andrew Dunstan (andrew@dunslane.net) wrote:
> On 02/15/2011 11:13 AM, Stephen Frost wrote:
> >Think I suggested that at one point.  I'm all for doing that on a major
> >version change like this one, but I think we already had some concerns
> >about that on this thread (Andrew maybe?).
>
> I could live with it for a release if I thought we had a clear path
> ahead, but I think there are some design issues that we need to
> think about before we start providing for header lines and variable
> formats in CSV logs, particularly w.r.t. log rotation etc. So I'm
> slightly nervous about going ahead with this right now.

I believe the suggestion that Robert and I were talking about above was
to just unilatterally change the CSV log file output format to include
current_role.  No header lines, no variable output format, etc.

I do think we can make header lines and variable output work, if we can
get agreement on what the semantics should be.

> You don't really make your case any better by continuing this
> argument from years ago. I can tell you from experience that the CSV
> HEADER feature is distinctly useful as it is. If you want to add a
> mode that uses the header line as a column list on import, then make
> that case, and I'll support it in fact, but it's not an alternative
> to having the header ignored, which is a feature I would vigorously
> resist removing.

I'm not really interested in removing it.  I guess I have a vain hope
that with arguing I'll convince someone to take up the mantle of
implementing the 'use header' option. :)  Not getting much traction
though, so I expect I'll work on it this summer.

> (Incidentally, I think it won't be trivial - the
> COPY code expects to know the columns by the time it opens the
> file).

Thanks for that insight, I'll take a look at how things work and see if
I can come up with a sensible proposal.
Thanks,
    Stephen