Re: date formatting and tab-complete patch

On Sat, Dec 08, 2001 at 07:41:01PM -0600, Manuel Sugawara wrote:
> Karel Zak <zakkr(at)zf(dot)jcu(dot)cz> writes:
>
> [...]
> > and this output must be independent on locales setting. It's
> > important, because a lot of application depend of current output
> > format. If someone wants use locale depend output must be possible
> > set it by some format suffix, for example:
> >
> > to_char(now(), 'LCMonth')
>
> I was thinking it and I do not like much the idea to add a new
> prefix. I would like more a new set of functions:
>
> * lto_char (date, format [,locale])
> * lto_date (date,format [,locale])
> * lto_timestamp (timestamp,format [,locale])

Yes, we can add new function for [,locale], but internaly it
_must_ be same code as current to_ stuff. I think new prefix is no
a problem because it's relevant for Months/Days only.

> Also if we are filling with spaces in the present code we would have
> to also do it with the locale aware code. Seems to me that this is a
> better way to keep backwards compatibility, so
>
> lto_char('1974/10/22'::date,'dd/month/yyyy','es_MX')
>
> would lead to '22/octubre /1974', filled to 10, since 'septiembre'
> which has 10 chars is the longest month name in the 'es' localization,

If you use prefix you can write to docs: "LC prefix truncate output
like FM". I mean we needn't support crazy Oracle feature with months
align for locale version of to_char(). If you will use prefix you
can be always sure how is input. I think we can keep this Oracle's
feature only for *non-locale version* and for compatibility only.
I have no idea why support month align in new features where we not
limited with some compatibility...

I still think that 'LC' prefix is good and simply implement-able
idea that allows mix old features with new features, for example:

to_char(now(), '"DE month:" LCMonth "and Oracle month:" Month', de_DE);

BTW the [,locale] feature require improve (very careful) pg_locale
routines because it allows to work with different locales setting
than use actual DB setting.

If user doesn't set locales directly by [,locale] must be possible
for 'LC' prefix use actual locales database setting. For example I
don't want in my applications use harcoded locales setting in queries,
but I want maintain it by DB setting.

> PS. By the way, reviewing the code I found a bug that causes the
> following test:
>
> to_date(to_char('1979/22/10'::date,'dd/fmrm/yyyy'),'dd/fmrm/yyyy') = '1979/22/10'::date;
>
> give an error instead of a true value. Attached is the patch to fix it
> against the 7.2b3 tree.

Thanks. I will repost it to paches list.

Karel

--
Karel Zak <zakkr(at)zf(dot)jcu(dot)cz>
http://home.zf.jcu.cz/~zakkr/

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