Re: Variadic parameters vs parameter defaults

Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> writes:

> Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net> writes:
>> On Wednesday 17 December 2008 20:50:22 Tom Lane wrote:
>>> The behavior at zero arguments is
>>> certainly a judgment call, but it seems to me that we'll wind up with
>>> more warts and less flexibility if we try to make the system install a
>>> default behavior for that case.
>
>> Maybe we'll just let it be for now and see what kind of user demands we get.
>
> Fair enough.  We could possibly have the system install a "default
> default" for variadic arguments, but I'd rather add that later
> on the basis of demand than stick it in now.

My inclination would be to say zero arguments is zero arguments and you get a
zero-length array. We could eliminate the problem with anyelement by saying
the variadic argument can't be the only polymorphic argument.

I think there are going to be more users using non-polymorphic arguments who
are surprised that no arguments is a special case than people using
polymorphic arguments who are annoyed by restrictions at the intersection.

Actually I think my vote would be for whatever requires the least code now. If
you've already committed something then let's just go with that.

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