Re: ALTER SYSTEM SET command to change postgresql.conf parameters (RE: Proposal for Allow postgresql.conf values to be changed via SQL [review])

* Amit Kapila (amit.kapila16@gmail.com) wrote:
> Okay, let us decide how things will be if we disable by default:
>    1. initdb won't create any empty auto file, rather the file will be
> created first time user uses ALTER SYSTEM.

I'm not particularly set on this..  Why not create the file initially?

>    2. Alter system should issue warning, if it detects that feature is
> disabled (for this we need to error detection code
>        during parsing of postgresql.conf as it was previously)

I agree that it should complain through a warning or perhaps an error
(to be honest, I like error more, but there may be good reasons against
that).

>    3. postgresql.conf will contain include directive in below form:
>        #include = 'postgresql.auto.conf'
>        Whenever user wants to use Alter System, he needs to enable it
> after first time using ALTER SYSTEM.

That I don't like..  You should be able to enable it and have things
"work" without having to run ALTER SYSTEM first..

> One question here, if somebody just enables it without using ALTER
> SYSTEM, should it throw any error on not finding auto file or just
> ignore it?

I'd prefer that it error if it can't find an included file.

> > What about include directives?
>
> Sorry, I didn't get which parameters you are referring by include directives?

Literally, the above 'include' in postgresql.conf.  Would that only be
dealt with as a parse-time thing, or should it be more like a GUC which
could then be set through ALTER SYSTEM?
Thanks,
    Stephen