Re: enum types and binary queries

Andrew Dunstan <andrew(at)dunslane(dot)net> writes:
> Merlin Moncure wrote:
>> I noticed that enums are not available to be queried as binary through
>> the protocol.

> The trouble is that an enum doesn't have an immutable internal binary value.

> I guess we could say that the binary value is the integer offset of the
> value in the enum ordering, and translate it back on input. Providing
> the binary IO funcs shouldn't be too hard if we do that, unless I'm
> missing something.

That would be expensive to get, wouldn't it? The main point of binary
I/O is to be fast, so I'm not excited about an expensive conversion.

What if we just defined the binary format as being identical to the text
format, ie, the enum label? A bit silly but at least it would eliminate
the gotcha that binary I/O fails.

regards, tom lane