Re: ALTER SYSTEM SET command to change postgresql.conf parameters (RE: Proposal for Allow postgresql.conf values to be changed via SQL [review])

On Tue, 2013-07-16 at 04:23 +0000, Amit kapila wrote:
>
> > Why do we need to expose this setting to a user?
>
> a) This can be a knob to turn this feature off. This has been asked by
> few people,
> one of the mail link is mentioned below (refer towards end of mail
> in the link):
> http://www.postgresql.org/message-id/515B04F9.30900@gmx.net
>
> b) In case user wants to change priority of parameters set by Alter
> System, he can move the
> include_dir up or down in postgresql.conf.

In that message I argue that the auto file should always be read
implicitly.

The comment about being able to turn this feature off was because as
presented it was too complicated and error-prone. Removing the include
would incidentally not be a way to turn the feature off. Turning the
feature of would require disabling the ALTER SYSTEM command. I'm not
really asking for that functionality, but I'm really against having to
manually include the auto file, and also against the system nagging me
about including the file.

There is the slightly interesting question whether the auto file should
notionally be processed before or after the main postgresql.conf, but
that's a question we should answer now, not let it the users work it
out.