Re: Use "WAL segment" instead of "log segment" consistently in user-facing messages

At Thu, 31 Mar 2022 08:45:56 -0700, Nathan Bossart <nathandbossart(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote in
> At all times, <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> maintains a
> <firstterm>write ahead log</firstterm> (WAL) in the <filename>pg_wal/</filename>
> - subdirectory of the cluster's data directory. The log records
> - every change made to the database's data files. This log exists
> + subdirectory of the cluster's data directory. The WAL records
> + capture every change made to the database's data files. This log exists
>
> I don't think this change really adds anything. The preceding sentence
> makes it clear that we are discussing the write-ahead log, and IMO the
> change in phrasing ("the log records every change" is changed to "the
> records capture every change") subtly changes the meaning of the sentence.
>
> The rest looks good to me.

+1. It is not a composite noun "log records".

The original sentence is "S(The log) V(records) O(every change that is
made to .. files)". The proposed change looks like changing it to
"S(The log records) V(capture) O(every ..files)". In that sense, the
original one seem rather correct to me, since "capture" seems to have
the implication of "write after log..", to me.

I looked though the document and found other use of "log
record|segment". What do you think about the attached?

There're some uncertain point in the change.

you should at least save the contents of the cluster's <filename>pg_wal</filename>
- subdirectory, as it might contain logs which
+ subdirectory, as it might contain WAL files which
were not archived before the system went down.

The "logs" means acutally "WAL segment (files)" but the concept of
"segment" is out of focus in the context. So just "file" is used
there. The same change is applied on dezon of places.

- disk-space requirements for the <acronym>WAL</acronym> logs are met,
+ disk-space requirements for the <acronym>WAL</acronym> are met,

This might be better be "WAL files" instead of just "WAL".

- <acronym>WAL</acronym> logs are stored in the directory
+ <acronym>WAL</acronym> is stored in the directory
<filename>pg_wal</filename> under the data directory, as a set of

I'm not sure which is better, use "WAL" as a collective noun, or "WAL
files" as the cocrete objects.

- The aim of <acronym>WAL</acronym> is to ensure that the log is
+ The aim of <acronym>WAL</acronym> is to ensure that the WAL record is
written before database records are altered, but this can be subverted by

This is not a mechanical change. But I think this is correct.

regards.

--
Kyotaro Horiguchi
NTT Open Source Software Center