Re: BUG #5490: Using distinct for select list causes insert of timestamp string literal to fail

From: "Kevin Grittner" <Kevin(dot)Grittner(at)wicourts(dot)gov>
To: "Farid Zidan" <farid(at)zidsoft(dot)com>
Cc: <pgsql-bugs(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: BUG #5490: Using distinct for select list causes insert of timestamp string literal to fail
Date: 2010-06-04 16:52:17
Message-ID: 4C08E8F10200002500031FAD@gw.wicourts.gov
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-bugs

>Farid Zidan <farid(at)zidsoft(dot)com> wrote:

>> If we were strictly complying with the SQL standard,

> Considering the statement works in all the 9 DBMS systems+ that I
> have tested so far as mentioned above, I would say PostgreSQL is
> not compliant with SQL standard in this regard.

The SQL standard is a document published by the International
Standards Organization (ISO) and also adopted by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI). Those documents don't require
a query in either of the forms you presented to work. Because of
the convenience factor, most database products have non-standard
extensions to omit type specification in some places. PostgreSQL's
extensions are oriented more toward user-installable data types
(such as geometric shapes or global coordinates), so the particulars
of our non-standard extensions differ so that use of those features
is as easy as practicable. That does result in some non-standard
extensions which work in other products not working in PostgreSQL.

I think you'll find that the syntax I suggested (using the standard
timestamp literal instead of a bare character string literal) will
work in all of the databases you mentioned; if you want portable
code, it is best to follow the standard rather than some inferred
popular convention.

I hope this helps.

-Kevin

In response to

Responses

Browse pgsql-bugs by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Farid Zidan 2010-06-04 17:09:14 Re: BUG #5490: Using distinct for select list causes insert of timestamp string literal to fail
Previous Message Farid Zidan 2010-06-04 16:23:24 Re: BUG #5490: Using distinct for select list causes insert of timestamp string literal to fail