Re: [HACKERS] Efficient DELETE Strategies

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Josh Berkus [mailto:josh(at)agliodbs(dot)com]
> Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 3:42 PM
> To: Tom Lane; Manfred Koizar
> Cc: Christoph Haller; pgsql-sql(at)postgresql(dot)org;
> pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
> Subject: Re: [HACKERS] [SQL] Efficient DELETE Strategies
>
> Tom,
>
> > >> If so, what's their syntax?
> >
> > > MSSQL seems to guess what the user wants.
> >
> > Gack. Nothing like treating mindless syntax variations as
> a "feature"
> > list...
>
> I vote that we stick to a strick SQL92 interpretation, here.
> 1) It's standard
> 2) Strict syntax on DELETE statements is better.
>
> Personally, I would *not* want the database to "guess what I
> want" in a delete
> statement; it might guess wrong and there go my records ...
>
> Heck, one of the things I need to research how to turn off in
> PostgreSQL is
> the "Add missing FROM-clause" feature, which has tripped me
> up many times.

Agree strongly.

I would be very annoyed at any database system that guesses about what I
might want. It might guess wrong and cause enormous damage. It does
not have to be an update or delete for this damage to occur. It could
be a report that financial decisions were based upon. If someone does
get the PostgreSQL group to alter incoming statements, surely this
deserves *AT LEAST* a powerful warning message.