Re: Views, views, views: Summary of Arguments

On Thu, May 12, 2005 at 03:30:59PM -0400, Tom Lane wrote:
> elein(at)varlena(dot)com (elein) writes:
> > Also, if you do not trust the newsysview team to develop good views
> > (with input for hackers), how can you possibly expect every dba and tool
> > maker to access the system catalog in a consistent and accurate manner.
>
> I never said that they couldn't develop useful views. I do question
> the assumption that they can be all things to all people. I think the
> claims being made in this thread are highly overblown. In particular
> I doubt that views that expose everything anyone might want to know
> are going to be amazingly much simpler than the underlying catalogs.
>
> So far the goals that have been presented include being complete, being
> simple, and being stabler than the underlying catalogs. I think you
> can have *one* of those; probably not two and definitely not all three.
> So tell us the truth about what your priorities are and which goals will
> lose when there's a conflict.

In real life, as opposed to goals, the views will be mostly complete
but will provide a simpler foundation for people to build on.

Simplicity is an objective measurement. Simpler than the existing
system catalogs is a clear objective. My own push and emphasis
for this views is to simplify support and useabilty--to answer questions
people (and tools) ask most often. Others lean toward completeness
as more important.

And lastly, the views will only be as stable as the system catalogs.
If anyone says differently they are wrong.

>
> I see a whole lot of NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome --- the developers
> of these views love 'em, sure, because they fit the way those developers
> think. But that doesn't prove everyone else will love 'em.
>

Usability must be the emphasis. That is why I push toward having
the views answer questions that users need to ask.

--elein

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