2012/12/28 Gavin Flower <gavinflo...@archidevsys.co.nz>: > On 29/12/12 10:19, Peter Eisentraut wrote: > > On 12/28/12 11:22 AM, Pavel Stehule wrote: > > I am not sure, but maybe is time to introduce ANSI SQL syntax for > functions' named parameters > > It is defined in ANSI SQL 2011 > > CALL P (B => 1, A => 2) > > instead PostgreSQL syntax CALL ( B := 1, A := 2) > > I agree it's probably time. > > * should we support both - probably yes > > yes > > * how long time we will support pg syntax? - 2..5..ever years > > * when we mark pg syntax as obsolete? > > * when we remove pg syntax? > > The := syntax was introduced in 9.0, so it is by now well entrenched. I > don't think we should remove it at all any time soon. > > As for documentation, just state how it is. The standard syntax is =>, > but because of $various_issues, older versions only support :=. > > > > To be honest I prefer := as it looks neater than =>, in part because I first > saw that notation when I was learning ALGOL 60 and liked the justification > they gave in the manual. > > In fact I find => ugly and counter intuitive as I keep having the feeling > that it points the wrong way, because A => 2 suggests to me that you are > setting '2' to the value of 'A' which is plain daft!
It doesn't mean ASSIGN but maybe ASSOCIATE - for me the best natural is syntax, that we don't use (or is used less in SQL/XML) with keyword AS supported syntax -- A := 2; ANSI SQL -- A => 2; and my natural (but it subjective) -- 2 AS A I don't know a original motivation for using symbol '=>' - but is widely used for associative arrays in Perl like languages. And if I can go to deeper history - it is used for named parameters in ADA language http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ada_Programming/Subprograms Regards Pavel > > I am sure there are worse standardisation formats - but for some reason, I > find this one disproportionately irritating! :-) > > So I would much prefer to keep the old format, if at all possible. > > > Cheers, > Gavin > > > > -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
