Re: SQL WHERE: many sql or large IN()

tom <tom@tacocat.net> writes:
> I've never seen this before.
> Is this PG specific or generic SQL that I've never been exposed to?

It's in the SQL standard.  SQL92 saith

         <table value constructor> ::=
              VALUES <table value constructor list>

         <table value constructor list> ::=
              <row value constructor> [ { <comma> <row value constructor> }... ]

and lists this as an alternative to <query specification> (ie, a SELECT)
in the query grammar.  So you can write VALUES anywhere you could write
SELECT.  However, the spec also allows "entry level SQL" implementations
to dumb it down pretty far:

         1) The following restrictions apply for Intermediate SQL:

            a) A <table value constructor> shall contain exactly one <row
              value constructor> that shall be of the form "(<row value
              constructor list>)".

            b) A <table value constructor> shall be the <query expression>
              of an <insert statement>.

         2) The following restrictions apply for Entry SQL in addition to
            any Intermediate SQL restrictions:

              None.

What we had up to 8.2 was the entry-level definition.  I couldn't tell
you which other DBMSes support the full definition...

            regards, tom lane