Re: SQL command speed

I believe the PostgreSQL optimizer is fooled by many ORs and switches
to sequential scans: it cannot estimate properly the quantity of
results that will be returned.

Try it in one go, as
   $sql = "SELECT notam_id, TO_CHAR(full_issue_date, 'DD-MON-YYYY 
HH24:MI')       FROM notam_details       WHERE         item_a IN      ('EGKB','EGDM','EGHH','EGGD','EGVN','EGFF',
'EGDC','EGTC','EGDR','EGTE','EGLF','EGTG',      'EGBJ','EGLC','EGKK','EGLL','EGSS','EGGW',
'EGMD','EGDL','EGUM','EGHD','EGHE','EGKA',      'EGHI','EGMC','EGDG','EGFH','EGDY','EGJA',       'EGJB','EGJJ')"; 
 
The optimizer should (I think) like this better and use the indices,
without requiring that you iterate the queries from the frontend.

As I am trying to learn these things too, I will appreciate knowing
about the result of your tests: please keep me posted.

Thanks

Miguel Sofer