Re: PL/pgSQL 'i = i + 1' Syntax

Josh Berkus wrote:
>> If you only care about Oracle to PostgreSQL (and who wouldn't?), then  
>> it in fact seems desirable for PL/pgSQL to be a superset of PL/SQL.
>
> I agree with David here.   We care about the ability to migrate PL/SQL -->
> PL/pgSQL.   We do *not* care about the ability to migrate PL/pgSQL -->
> PL/SQL.  So supporting extra syntax which Oracle doesn't ... as long as
> the Oracle syntax still works ... is in fact a good thing.

I cannot feel good about deliberately introducing incompatibilities.
We are not Microsoft, are we?

If assignment by '=' gets documented and known, it will get used.
This in turn will make PL/pgSQL less familiar for PL/SQL coders.
And that will make them more reluctant to change over.

I think it would be best to get a compile error when '=' is used for
assignment, but if that's too much effort, I believe that the current
behaviour is acceptable as long as it doesn't get documented and
'good practice'.

Yours,
Laurenz Albe