Re: default parameters for built-in functions (was Re: Documentation Update: Document pg_start_backup checkpoint behavior)

Alvaro Herrera <alvherre(at)commandprompt(dot)com> writes:
> Tom Lane wrote:
>> The only alternative that comes to mind is
>> to have initdb issue an additional SQL command to establish the default
>> after the bootstrap phase; that is, something like
>>
>> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION
>> pg_start_backup(label text, fast boolean DEFAULT false)
>> RETURNS text LANGUAGE internal STRICT AS 'start_backup';
>>
>> in system_views.sql or some such place.

> I think it's worth having this, perhaps as a new SQL file to be called
> by initdb. I'm sure we can come up with new system functions for which
> it's going to be useful to have default values.

Yeah, I thought someone would raise the "there will be more soon"
argument ;-).

The reason I suggested system_views.sql is we already have one function
in there that was too unwieldy to code directly in pg_proc.h. At some
point it might be worth breaking the file into two parts, but I won't
bother with that right now.

regards, tom lane