Re: SQL99 ARRAY support proposal

Peter Eisentraut wrote:
> Joe Conway writes:
>
>>2) Implement the following new builtin functions
>> array_push(anyarray, anyelement) returns anyarray
>> array_pop(anyarray) returns anyelement
>> array_subscript(anyarray, int) yields anyelement
>> singleton_array(anyelement) returns anyarray
>> - any reason not to call this one simply "array"?
>> split(text, text) returns text[]
>> - split string into array on delimiter
>> implode(text[], text) returns text
>> - join array elements into a string using given string delimiter

> I think this goes too far. It is just an invitation to people to create
> bad database designs by using arrays as lists. Create an array support
> package on gborg if you like, but I feel this should not be in the
> mainline.
>

Sorry, I don't agree with that assessment. There are lots of ways people
can create bad database designs using the CREATE TABLE statement too ;-)

Arrays *do* have a place, and they are supported in SQL99+. We get
complaints almost daily regarding the poor array support -- this is just
a step toward improving that. If you want to debate the merit of
individual functions on that list, let's do that, but to dismiss them
all with a wave-of-the-hand is too far.

Joe