Re: Function management in PG

On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 2:19 AM, Robins Tharakan <tharakan(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> Hi,
> While making a complex database back-end, I have at-hand about 200 odd
> functions and frankly 'management of functions' is already getting quite
> tedious. Since the count is certain to rise, I am looking for a good tool to
> do this.
> By management, I guess I am looking at some kind of tagging mechanism, where
> it could keep stored a list of tags for each function (tags that I provide,
> for each new function created) and it be able to provide a comfortable way
> of searching/browsing through the list.

The problem IMO is that you are thinking of the database as a code
repository. It isn't...you should be thinking of it a compiler.
Strictly speaking what you are asking could be done by simply
searching pg_proc prosrc column for 'tags' you insert into code
comments in the function. I would not advise doing this.

Keep your 'create function' statements in external files and load them
form there into the database. Those files can then be checked into a
source control tool, and either organized into a directory tree or
tagged with the in-code documentation.

From there you can build exotic things like scripts that track
function dependencies if you change a core table for example.

merlin