Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net> writes:
> So from when to when is the startup time (the "x" in "x..y") actually
> measured? When does the clock start ticking and when does it stop?
> That is what's confusing me.
The planner thinks of the startup time (the first estimated-cost number)
as the time before the output scan can start, eg, time to do the sort in
a sort node. EXPLAIN ANALYZE however reports the actual time until the
first output row is delivered. When you've got a filter applied to the
node result, as in this case, there can be a material difference between
the two definitions, because of the time spent scanning rows that don't
get past the filter.
regards, tom lane