Query optimization path

Hi all,

I have the following query:

SELECT count(1)
FROM providers p JOIN class_default cd    USING (id_provider)
                 JOIN user_data     ud    USING (id_class)
                 JOIN v_user_traffic ut   USING (id_user)
WHERE id_user_status in (4,5) AND
      p.company = 'XXXXX';

is not slow but I notice that if I do explain analyze with the table
reordered
inside the select in another way the cost change.

------------------- FIRST CASE --------------
explain analyze
SELECT count(1)
FROM providers p JOIN class_default cd    USING (id_provider)
                 JOIN user_data     ud    USING (id_class)
                 JOIN v_user_traffic ut   USING (id_user)
WHERE id_user_status in (4,5) AND
      p.company = 'SOL';

NOTICE:  QUERY PLAN:

Aggregate  (cost=9482.53..9482.53 rows=1 width=32) (actual
time=164.82..164.82 rows=1 loops=1)
  ->  Hash Join  (cost=145.89..9480.58 rows=782 width=32) (actual
time=77.29..164.16 rows=396 loops=1)
        ->  Hash Join  (cost=7.15..9232.71 rows=19870 width=12) (actual
time=1.67..152.21 rows=1170 loops=1)
              ->  Seq Scan on user_traffic u  (cost=0.00..8877.83 rows=19870
width=8) (actual time=0.23..145.39 rows=1170 loops=1)
              ->  Hash  (cost=6.52..6.52 rows=252 width=4) (actual
time=0.85..0.85 rows=0 loops=1)
                    ->  Seq Scan on contracts c  (cost=0.00..6.52 rows=252
width=4) (actual time=0.04..0.52 rows=181 loops=1)
        ->  Hash  (cost=138.05..138.05 rows=276 width=20) (actual
time=8.88..8.88 rows=0 loops=1)
              ->  Nested Loop  (cost=4.02..138.05 rows=276 width=20) (actual
time=1.53..7.87 rows=520 loops=1)
                    ->  Hash Join  (cost=4.02..5.29 rows=1 width=12) (actual
time=0.98..1.14 rows=1 loops=1)
                          ->  Seq Scan on class_default cd  (cost=0.00..1.18
rows=18 width=8) (actual time=0.02..0.09 rows=18 loops=1)
                          ->  Hash  (cost=4.01..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual
time=0.21..0.21 rows=0 loops=1)
                                ->  Seq Scan on providers p
(cost=0.00..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual time=0.19..0.19 rows=1 loops=1)
                    ->  Index Scan using idx_user_data_class on user_data ud
(cost=0.00..127.99 rows=382 width=8) (actual time=0.52..5.32 rows=520
loops=1)
Total runtime: 165.23 msec


------------------- SECOND CASE --------------
explain analyze
SELECT count(1)
FROM user_data ud JOIN v_user_traffic ut USING (id_user)
                  JOIN class_default cd USING (id_class)
                  JOIN providers p USING (id_provider)
WHERE id_user_status in (4,5) and  p.company = 'SOL';

NOTICE:  QUERY PLAN:

Aggregate  (cost=10194.82..10194.82 rows=1 width=32) (actual
time=210.09..210.09 rows=1 loops=1)
  ->  Hash Join  (cost=324.95..10194.38 rows=174 width=32) (actual
time=123.18..209.47 rows=396 loops=1)
        ->  Hash Join  (cost=320.94..10117.81 rows=14076 width=28) (actual
time=54.17..206.00 rows=1167 loops=1)
              ->  Hash Join  (cost=319.71..9870.25 rows=14076 width=20)
(actual time=53.10..199.45 rows=1167 loops=1)
                    ->  Hash Join  (cost=7.15..9232.71 rows=19870 width=12)
(actual time=1.61..142.42 rows=1170 loops=1)
                          ->  Seq Scan on user_traffic u
(cost=0.00..8877.83 rows=19870 width=8) (actual time=0.23..135.88 rows=1170
loops=1)
                          ->  Hash  (cost=6.52..6.52 rows=252 width=4)
(actual time=0.81..0.81 rows=0 loops=1)
                                ->  Seq Scan on contracts c
(cost=0.00..6.52 rows=252 width=4) (actual time=0.05..0.51 rows=181 loops=1)
                    ->  Hash  (cost=300.15..300.15 rows=4966 width=8)
(actual time=50.89..50.89 rows=0 loops=1)
                          ->  Seq Scan on user_data ud  (cost=0.00..300.15
rows=4966 width=8) (actual time=0.27..42.02 rows=4978 loops=1)
              ->  Hash  (cost=1.18..1.18 rows=18 width=8) (actual
time=0.33..0.33 rows=0 loops=1)
                    ->  Seq Scan on class_default cd  (cost=0.00..1.18
rows=18 width=8) (actual time=0.25..0.30 rows=18 loops=1)
        ->  Hash  (cost=4.01..4.01 rows=1 width=4) (actual time=0.58..0.58
rows=0 loops=1)
              ->  Seq Scan on providers p  (cost=0.00..4.01 rows=1 width=4)
(actual time=0.56..0.56 rows=1 loops=1)
Total runtime: 210.41 msec



I was believing that postgres before to do the query choose the combination
that cost less,
and in this case ( less then 11 table, I have geqo_threshold = 11 ) in an
exaustive way.
Why I obtain two different cost ? Note also that in the first case postgres
use and index
and not in the second.


Ciao
Gaetano.