Re: [HACKERS] Interval aggregate regression failure

Tom Lane wrote:
> Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us> writes:
> > I am unclear about this report. The patch was not meant to fix every
> > interval issue, but merely to improve multiplication and division
> > computations. Does it do that?
>
> According to Michael's last report, your patch fails under
> --enable-integer-datetimes.

Where does it fail? Here?

select interval '41 mon 12 days 360:00' * 0.3 as product_a
, interval '-41 mon -12 days +360:00' * 0.3 as product_b
, interval '-41 mon 12 days 360:00' * 0.3 as product_c
, interval '-41 mon -12 days -360:00' * 0.3 as product_d;
product_a | product_b |
product_c | product_d
--------------------------+-----------------------------
+----------------------------+---------------------------------
1 year 11 days 146:24:00 | -1 years -11 days +69:36:00 | -1 years -5
days +98:24:00 | -1 years -11 days -146:23:60.00
-----

That is wrong, but I think we need another fix for that. Notice the
problem is in minutes/seconds, not hours.

> This is an issue where you have to be "as simple as possible, but no
> simpler". I think the approach you are proposing is too simple.
> Michael's last patch here:
> http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-patches/2006-08/msg00447.php
> looks considerably more likely to lead to a workable answer.

I see he is taking the fractional part of the result and finding if that
should round. I am confused why that would help the -146:23:60.00 value
above. Notice we only see it for negative values too.

I do like that he is rounding the computation spillover, and not the
total time value, which is what I started with.

I believe my provides a more accurate computation, and doesn't have the
problems of rounding. The only bug we can find is the powerpc one for
-146:23:60 minutes.

--
Bruce Momjian bruce(at)momjian(dot)us
EnterpriseDB http://www.enterprisedb.com

+ If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +