On Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 05:52 PG Doc comments form <nore...@postgresql.org> wrote:
> The following documentation comment has been logged on the website: > > Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/16/app-pgrestore.html > Description: > > Good Morning, > > In the `pg_restore` docs > (https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-pgrestore.html), > `--if-exists` > states that it is to > > > Use conditional commands (i.e., add an IF EXISTS clause) > > to drop database objects. This option is not valid unless > > --clean is also specified.", but not being a SQL expert, > > I'm having a hard time deciphering this. > > Suggestion: Would you consider adding the sentence (or something similar)? > > > "--clean makes pg_restore drop all objects first, > > and --if-exists prevents that non-existent objects > > cause a failure." > Source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/75136163/1498178 > > This is succinct, and tells exactly what one needs to know. Thank you and > have a great day! > > Appreciatively, > Attila > But "failure" is not what happens. If you read the part regarding --clean, you will see that it says: (Unless --if-exists is used, this might generate some *harmless error messages*, if any objects were not present in the destination database.) *[emphasis added]* with extra emphasis on the word "harmless" -- no failure is caused; the restore proceeds just fine. If anything were to change in this regard, it might be better to reconsider what we call the message (i.e.what language pg_restore emits in this scenario.) It's true, I suppose, in a literal sense that it's an error in that pg_restore couldn't drop a table when instructed to, where no such table exists. But pragmatically it doesn't matter, so why not reclassify this as a "warning" or a "notice"? --Kirk >
