Re: [COMMITTERS] pgsql: New SQL functons pg_backup_in_progress() and pg_backup_start_tim

On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 8:16 PM, Robert Haas <robertmhaas(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 1:52 AM, Magnus Hagander <magnus(at)hagander(dot)net> wrote:
>> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 1:29 AM, Robert Haas <rhaas(at)postgresql(dot)org> wrote:
>>> New SQL functons pg_backup_in_progress() and pg_backup_start_time()
>>>
>>> Darold Gilles, reviewed by Gabriele Bartolini and others, rebased by
>>> Marco Nenciarini.  Stylistic cleanup and OID fixes by me.
>>
>> How well is the term "on-line exclusive backup" really settled with
>> people? I wonder if we need to add a specific note to the docs saying
>> that the function doesn't consider streaming base backups at all, and
>> that one should refer to pg_stat_replication for info about those? Or
>> really, should the function be pg_exclusive_backup_in_progress()
>> perhaps?
>
> Well, if we think that the term "exclusive backup" is not going to be
> easily comprehensible, then sticking that into the function name isn't
> going to help us much.  I think that's just wordiness for the sake of
> being wordy.  I do agree that we could probably improve the clarity of
> the documentation along the lines you suggest.

It would alert people to the existance of the term, and thus help
those who didn't actually read the documentation.

Which actually makes an argument for making that change *anyway*,
because right now the function is incorrectly named. A function named
pg_backup_in_progress() should answer the question "is a backup in
progress". And it doesn't answer that question.

--
 Magnus Hagander
 Me: http://www.hagander.net/
 Work: http://www.redpill-linpro.com/