Re: pg_largeobject and toast

hi,

> yamt(at)mwd(dot)biglobe(dot)ne(dot)jp (YAMAMOTO Takashi) writes:
>>> At one time there was an actual command ALTER TABLE foo CREATE TOAST TABLE
>>> (or something close to that, don't recall the exact spelling) that
>>> in principle could have been invoked on pg_largeobject. That's not
>>> there anymore, but as you say it's still possible for pg_largeobject
>>> to acquire a toast table if you're willing to perform random ALTERs
>>> on it.
>
>> is it too complicated to make the database bootstrap process perform
>> SET STORAGE equivalent so that random ALTERs on the table doesn't
>> trigger toast creation?
>
> I guess the answer to that is what the heck are you doing doing random
> ALTERs on a system catalog? It's not clear to me that we should be
> putting in kluges to cause such things to have nonstandard effects.
> Superusers are assumed to know what they're doing.

well, a novice user (me) got surprised by the behaviour when learning
postgresql and asked a possibly stupid question. that's all.
i have no particular reason to do random ALTERs on a system catalog except
curiosity.

IMO it's better if system catalogs behave similar to ordinary tables
where possible. but surely it depends on how much kludge is necessary
for it.

YAMAMOTO Takashi

>
> regards, tom lane