Re: Could postgres be much cleaner if a future release skipped backward compatibility?

Robert Haas wrote:
>  I think the real issue, though, is that answer
> to Ron's original question is "No".  When backward compatibility gets
> in the way of cool new features, that's worth considering.  But
> removing backward compatibility just for the sake of removing backward
> compatibility doesn't really buy us anything.  It's basically doing
> extra work for no benefit and some possible harm.
>
>
>   

Well said.

I am singularly unimpressed by arguments for removing backwards 
compatibility features to satisfy someone's passion for neatness, or to 
force people to conform to how they think their software should be 
managed. I occasionally shake my head in amazement at the willingness of 
some people to throw other users under the bus.

Upgrading a database installation is hard enough without us gratuitously 
making it harder, and we positively don't want to make people stay on 
older releases if they don't have to, I should have thought.

cheers

andrew