Re: Unused system table columns

Hannu Krosing <hannu@tm.ee> writes:
>> We can always re-add the columns them.

> But would it not be nice if we could add uniform binary protocol without
> requiring initdb ?

That won't happen, because the existing contents of those columns are
completely useless for a binary-protocol feature.

If we do ever add such a feature, we'd be better off adding new columns
with a different name, just to avoid confusion over what's supposed to
be there.  (For example: extant pg_dump scripts for user-defined types
will try to load wrong values into those columns if given a chance.
We *must* use new names for those slots in CREATE TYPE to avoid that
pitfall, and so we might as well change the system column name too.)
        regards, tom lane