Re: Overhauling GUCS

From: "Stephen R(dot) van den Berg" <srb(at)cuci(dot)nl>
To: pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: Overhauling GUCS
Date: 2008-06-02 12:35:48
Message-ID: 20080602123548.GA1590@cuci.nl
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Greg Smith wrote:
>Joshua has been banging a drum for a while now that all this data needs to
>get pushing into the database itself. The GUCS data is clearly structured

>tables, you'll open up the potential to add a whole new class of
>user-friendly applications for making configuration easier to manage.

>However, I don't fully agree with taking that idea as far as Joshua has
>suggested (only having the config data in the database), because having
>everything in a simple text file that can be managed with SCM etc. has
>significant value. It's nice to allow admins to be able to make simple
>changes with just a file edit. It's nice that you can look at all the
>parameters in one place and browse them. However, I do think that the
>internal database representation must be capable of holding everything in
>the original postgresql.conf file and producing an updated version of the
>file, either locally or remotely, as needed.

Depending on the complexity you want to have inside the generator, one
could imagine a middle ground solution like:

include "database-generated.conf"
include "local-overrides.conf"

Where the "database-generated.conf" does not necessarily needs a lot of
comments.

>Josh has the actual brains behind such an app all planned out if you look
>at his presentations, but without the larger overhaul it's just not
>possible to make the implementation elegant.

IMHO Greg's response is the most comprehensive and well-thought-through
contribution in the whole GUC thread.
--
Sincerely,
Stephen R. van den Berg.

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