Обсуждение: Improve documentation for current_setting function

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Improve documentation for current_setting function

От
PG Doc comments form
Дата:
The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:

Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/11/functions-admin.html
Description:

Hi.

Doc is not clear about what is returned if current_setting(
'app.not_existent', true ) is called.

Does it return empty string '', because return type is 'text' or it return
NULL, because 'app.not_existent' does not exist

Thank you.

Re: Improve documentation for current_setting function

От
Bruce Momjian
Дата:
On Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 12:59:45PM +0000, PG Doc comments form wrote:
> The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:
> 
> Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/11/functions-admin.html
> Description:
> 
> Hi.
> 
> Doc is not clear about what is returned if current_setting(
> 'app.not_existent', true ) is called.
> 
> Does it return empty string '', because return type is 'text' or it return
> NULL, because 'app.not_existent' does not exist

Testing shows:

    SELECT current_setting('asdf', true);
     current_setting
    -----------------
    
    
    \pset null (null)
    
    SELECT current_setting('asdf', true);
     current_setting
    -----------------
-->     (null)

How do you like the attached patch, which clarifies this?

-- 
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

+ As you are, so once was I.  As I am, so you will be. +
+                      Ancient Roman grave inscription +

Вложения

Re: Improve documentation for current_setting function

От
Eugen Konkov
Дата:
Hello Bruce,

> How do you like the attached patch, which clarifies this?

>>in which case a missing parameter returns
>>!     NULL.

not  always. It can be NULL or empty string. It depends if the current
session is new or after finished transaction which makes 'local' changes
to setting

Take into account these steps: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/15646-0d3caee9f6266f60%40postgresql.org

From  my  user point of view. if the boot value before transaction was
NULL then after transaction it MUST stay NULL and not empty string.

This  will  be  consistent with that if I open new parallel session it
will return NULL.

Also I see NULL value (if setting was not defined) is useful.


Also this:
set_config( 'my.name', NULL )
must  set 'my.name' to NULL or must issue warning about NULL is turned
into empty string.

Personally  I  dislike  that  NULL  is converted to empty string. This
looks ugly. =(

--
Best regards,
Eugen Konkov



Re: Improve documentation for current_setting function

От
Bruce Momjian
Дата:
On Fri, Feb 22, 2019 at 11:43:54AM +0200, Eugen Konkov wrote:
> Hello Bruce,
> 
> > How do you like the attached patch, which clarifies this?
> 
> >>in which case a missing parameter returns
> >>!     NULL.
> 
> not  always. It can be NULL or empty string. It depends if the current
> session is new or after finished transaction which makes 'local' changes
> to setting
> 
> Take into account these steps: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/15646-0d3caee9f6266f60%40postgresql.org

Yes, I saw that recent thread.

> From  my  user point of view. if the boot value before transaction was
> NULL then after transaction it MUST stay NULL and not empty string.
> 
> This  will  be  consistent with that if I open new parallel session it
> will return NULL.
> 
> Also I see NULL value (if setting was not defined) is useful.
> 
> 
> Also this:
> set_config( 'my.name', NULL )
> must  set 'my.name' to NULL or must issue warning about NULL is turned
> into empty string.
> 
> Personally  I  dislike  that  NULL  is converted to empty string. This
> looks ugly. =(

Understood.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

+ As you are, so once was I.  As I am, so you will be. +
+                      Ancient Roman grave inscription +