Re: BUG #5629: ALTER SEQUENCE foo START execute a RESTART

From: Alexsander Rosa <alexsander(dot)rosa(at)gmail(dot)com>
To: Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us>
Cc: Alvaro Herrera <alvherre(at)commandprompt(dot)com>, Euler Taveira de Oliveira <euler(at)timbira(dot)com>, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>, pgsql-bugs <pgsql-bugs(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: BUG #5629: ALTER SEQUENCE foo START execute a RESTART
Date: 2010-09-08 17:43:33
Message-ID: AANLkTin1WD3ou9=Qm2KGwYL6GLijPWO_5M3cx_Ob68qU@mail.gmail.com
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At 8.4 release notes, item "E.5.3.3.1. TRUNCATE" there's a sentence:
"The start value of a sequence can be changed by ALTER SEQUENCE START WITH.
"

Maybe this sentence should be copied/moved to "E.5.3.4.1. ALTER" with extra
text stating that START, in previous versions, was an (unintended) alias to
RESTART -- with the wording you suggested or something like that. The advise
to check server_version when using this command could be mentioned, also.

2010/9/8 Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us>

> Alexsander Rosa wrote:
> > Well, if it's not going to be fixed, then at least the docs should be
> > revised to warn all 8.4+ users to avoid this command and, if it's really
> > needed, always check the server version before using the ALTER SEQUENCE
> ...
> > START command, once it has a potentially hazardous bug that interprets it
> as
> > a RESTART in 8.3 version and below.
>
> The proper place for such notification is the 8.4 release notes, which
> states:
>
> Sequences now contain an additional 'start_value'
> column (Zoltan Boszormenyi)
>
> This supports <command>ALTER SEQUENCE ... RESTART.
>
> Which means basically 8.3 didn't have a start field at all.
>
> This is the first complaint I have heard about it. Do you have new
> wording to suggest? Perhaps:
>
> In previous releases, START behaved as RESTART.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

--
Atenciosamente,
Alexsander da Rosa
Linux User #113925

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