Re: Error message that is a bit misleading / weird result from <xid> || null

Frank van Vugt <ftm(dot)van(dot)vugt(at)foxi(dot)nl> writes:
> While trying to find a way to get indexed access to a table based on it's
> xmin, I ran into the following error message that seems a bit misleading:

> db=# select xmin || ' ' from <anytable> limit 1;
> ERROR: array value must start with "{" or dimension information

Yeah, it's being captured by the "anyelement || anyarray" operator for
lack of any other possible interpretation. We found a reasonable fix
for 8.3, in connection with removing implicit casts to text.

See long-running thread beginning here
http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-02/msg01729.php
final solution invented beginning here
http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2007-06/msg00116.php

regards, tom lane