Re: postgresql.conf error checking strategy

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 10:17 PM, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
> So I'm thinking we should adopt a strategy that's less likely to result
> in divergent behavior among different backends.  The idea I have in mind
> is to have the first "validation" pass only check that each name is a
> legal GUC variable name, and not look at the values at all.  If so, try
> to apply all the values.  Any that fail to apply we log as usual, but
> still apply the others.  ISTM that verifying the names should be enough
> protection against broken files for practical purposes, and it should be
> something that all backends will agree on even if there are individual
> values that are not valid for all.
>

Would it be possible to have a) a policy that GUCs should verify or
fail to verify consistently for all backends and b) a way for the
backends to scream loudly if they come to a different conclusion than
the master when reloading the file?
--
greg