Peter Eisentraut wrote: > Bruce Momjian writes: > > > That SELECT syntax is already too confusing. I don't want to add an > > additional documentation specification that provides no value to users. > > The value of the documentation, especially the reference manual, is that > it provides an authorative source of what works and what doesn't. It is > not the place to hide transitional phases. Moreover, the least possible > value you could provide to users is to gratuitously[*] change the syntax > and not tell anyone about it. > > [*] It's not like this will magically gain us MySQL or Oracle > compatibility. > > In fact, the recent trend in the SQL commands has been to accept most > options in any order, so it would only be logical to accept the LIMIT and > FOR UDPATE options in any order and document that fact. There is a > separate section in each reference page for information about which format > is compatible with what. > > But please remember that our foremost goal is to be compatible, both in > actuality and in mindset, with PostgreSQL, not with any other product that > happened to use a slightly different syntax at their whim. > > Therefore I request that both forms be accepted and documented as equally > valid.
You made the same argument for the COPY syntax, that we publish both the old and new syntaxes, and I resisted because I felt most people would rather just see the best syntax. I don't see the documentation as showing every possible syntax because that really doesn't benefit users, or should I say confused more than it helps. If you would like a vote, we can do that, but as I remember we had the same issue with COPY and we got most votes to just show the best syntax. -- Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us [EMAIL PROTECTED] | (610) 359-1001 + If your life is a hard drive, | 13 Roberts Road + Christ can be your backup. | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073 ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 4: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster
