Hi Simon,
On 2/23/07, Simon Riggs <simon@2ndquadrant.com> wrote:
> If this is standards-breaking as you say, I would withdraw immediately.
> I checked the SQL standard and could not see how this would do so. The
> standard states SELECT * would return columns in order; it doesn't say
> what that order should be, nor does CREATE TABLE enforce the ordering to
> be the same as it has specified, AFAICS. Please correct me and I will
> withdraw.
Phil Currier seems to have a preliminary proposition so I think we
should wait for his patch. AFAICS in what he did, the physical
position is not tied to the column ordering and it's better IMHO. It
doesn't seem very intrusive and it doesn't change the "visible"
behavior of PostgreSQL.
Personnaly, I really need my column ordering. When I create my table,
I put the columns in a logical order and I need they stay as I created
them (for \d for example - on a large table I make semantic groups so
I can find the field names more easily).
And I think a lot of people do it as well so I'm not sure people would
use a GUC which changes that much their habits.
--
Guillaume