Re: last comma inside "CREATE TABLE ()" statements

From: will trillich <will(at)serensoft(dot)com>
To: pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: last comma inside "CREATE TABLE ()" statements
Date: 2001-04-26 14:12:41
Message-ID: 20010426091241.B12147@serensoft.com
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the original request was to allow extra commas such as perl does
-- for example:

create table xyz (
f1 int4,
t1 text,
-- v1 varchar(25),
s1 serial, -- note extra trailing comma
);
select
v.fld1,
-- t.fld2,
v.fldN, -- extra comma
from
tbl1 t,
view1 v, -- extra comma
where
...

PLUSSES:

1 it's easier to cut & paste whole lines

2 it's easier to comment out any line

3 allows quicker munging of source code, saving precious
programmer time (big, Big, BIG plus, in the long run)

MINUSES:

1 requires some tweaks to postgres source code

2 nonstandard -- rubs philosophical purists the wrong way

3 increases iterations through code as extra commas are added
or removed (when lines of sql code are moved around), eating
up programmer time

IMHO:

let the purists code strict ISO if they like; we're not
recommending that the current paradigm be CHANGED to allow extra
commas, only that a new one be ADDED to allow extra commas.

regarding nonstandard -- we wouldn't ditch "create rule" or
"inherits" just because the standards folk haven't learned to
appreciate them yet, would we?

i've secretly wanted this feature for months and months, but i
didn't have the globs to ask for it. :)

can we vote? (no florida jokes, please...)

--

note:

in "CREATE TABLE" you can specify a primary key at the end of
your field defs, to accomplish just about the same effect:

create table thisway (
code char(6),
name varchar(20),
amt float8,
other int4, -- pseudo extra comma

PRIMARY KEY( code )
);

of course, this approach works only for table creation.

--
don't visit this page. it's bad for you. take my expert word for it.
http://www.salon.com/people/col/pagl/2001/03/21/spring/index1.html

will(at)serensoft(dot)com
http://sourceforge.net/projects/newbiedoc -- we need your brain!
http://www.dontUthink.com/ -- your brain needs us!

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