Re: Improving count(*)

Simon Riggs <simon@2ndquadrant.com> writes:
> From here, another proposal. We have a GUC called count_uses_estimate
> that is set to off by default. If set to true, then a count(*) will use
> the planner logic to estimate number of rows in the table and return
> that as the answer, rather than actually count the row.

Ugh.  Why not just provide a function to retrieve the planner estimate,
but *not* call it count(*)?  It would fit nicely with the contrib/dbsize
stuff (or I should say, the stuff formerly in dbsize...)
        regards, tom lane