Re: Why doesn't the SERIAL data type automatically have a

On Tue, Sep 27, 2005 at 10:33:14AM -0500, Scott Marlowe wrote:
> On Mon, 2005-09-26 at 20:03, Tom Lane wrote:
> > Ferindo Middleton Jr <fmiddleton(at)verizon(dot)net> writes:
> > > Is there some reason why the SERIAL data type doesn't automatically have
> > > a UNIQUE CONSTRAINT.
> >
> > It used to, and then we decoupled it. I don't think "I have no use for
> > one without the other" translates to an argument that no one has a use
> > for it ...
>
> I have to admit, right after the change was made, I was of the opinion
> that no one would ever need that. Then, a few months later, it was
> exactly what I needed for some project... :)

Arguably it would have been better to make the default case add either
UNIQUE or PRIMARY KEY with a way to over-ride.

If newbies are getting burned maybe it would be useful to toss a NOTICE
or maybe even WARNING when a serial is created without a unique
constraint of some kind?
--
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant jnasby(at)pervasive(dot)com
Pervasive Software http://pervasive.com work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf cell: 512-569-9461