Re: \describe*

On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 02:51:53PM +0000, Ryan Murphy wrote:
> >
> > >What I propose is in fact a server command, >which at least three of
> > >the other popular RDBMSs already have.
> >
> Well to actually implement it, it would probably be a client command,
> because that's what \d* are.

Why should this command be silo'ed off to the psql client? If it's a
server command, it's available to all clients, not just psql.

> We would most likely want them implemented the same, to avoid
> needless complexity.

We could certainly have \d call DESCRIBE for later versions of the
server. \ commands which call different SQL depending on server
version have long been a standard practice.

> I think people are more ok with \describe (with the backslash), which seems
> like what you're suggesting anyway. I read Vik's "hard pass" as being on
> having DESCRIBE which looks like an SQL command but would actually be
> implemented on the client. This seems simpler at first but could cause
> deep confusion later.

If we implement \d as DESCRIBE for server versions as of when DESCRIBE
is actually implemented, we've got wins all around.

Best,
David.
--
David Fetter <david(at)fetter(dot)org> http://fetter.org/
Phone: +1 415 235 3778

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