Robert Haas <robertmhaas(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
> I think you can always simulate CROSS APPLY using LATERAL. The syntax
> is different but the functionality is the same. However, OUTER APPLY
> allows you to do something that I don't think is possible using
> LATERAL.
Uh, what exactly? AFAICT from that blog entry, "x OUTER APPLY y" is
exactly the same as "x LEFT JOIN LATERAL y ON true". Okay, so you
saved three words, but is that a good enough reason to invent a
nonstandard syntax?
regards, tom lane