Re: SQL99 ARRAY support proposal

Peter Eisentraut wrote:> Joe Conway writes:>>>2) Implement the following new builtin functions>>
array_push(anyarray,anyelement) returns anyarray>>      array_pop(anyarray) returns anyelement>>
array_subscript(anyarray,int) yields anyelement>>      singleton_array(anyelement) returns anyarray>>         - any
reasonnot to call this one simply "array"?>>      split(text, text) returns text[]>>         - split string into array
ondelimiter>>      implode(text[], text) returns text>>         - join array elements into a string using given string
delimiter

> I think this goes too far.  It is just an invitation to people to create
> bad database designs by using arrays as lists.  Create an array support
> package on gborg if you like, but I feel this should not be in the
> mainline.
> 

Sorry, I don't agree with that assessment. There are lots of ways people 
can create bad database designs using the CREATE TABLE statement too ;-)

Arrays *do* have a place, and they are supported in SQL99+. We get 
complaints almost daily regarding the poor array support -- this is just 
a step toward improving that. If you want to debate the merit of 
individual functions on that list, let's do that, but to dismiss them 
all with a wave-of-the-hand is too far.

Joe