Re: time_stamp type

"Stephen R. van den Berg" <srb@cuci.nl> writes:
> What's the deal with this type?

It's a domain over timestamptz, as required by the SQL spec definition
of the information_schema.

postgres=# \dD information_schema.time_stamp                                                     List of domains
Schema      |    Name    |            Type             |                      Modifier                      | Check 
 

--------------------+------------+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+-------information_schema
|time_stamp | timestamp(2) with time zone | default ('now'::text)::timestamp(2) with time zone | 
 
(1 row)

[ re-reads spec... ]  Hm, actually the spec is self-contradictory here:
SQL99 20.7 saith
        CREATE DOMAIN TIME_STAMP AS TIMESTAMP (2)            DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP(2);

which appears to imply that TIME_STAMP is a domain over timestamp
*without* time zone ... but that is contradicted by the specification
that the default is CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, which yields a value *with*
time zone.  (LOCALTIMESTAMP is the function that should have been
mentioned if they really meant without time zone.)

[ pokes further... ]  Hmm, last year's SQL200n draft saith
CREATE DOMAIN TIME_STAMP AS TIMESTAMP(2) WITH TIME ZONE;

with no mention of a default.  I do wish these people could make
up their minds.
        regards, tom lane