Re: EXPLAIN omits schema?

On Wed, Jun 13, 2007 at 01:20:25PM +0100, Dave Page wrote:
> >>Just adding the schema name seems the most sensible and usable option -
> >>not to mention the easiest!
> >
> >While completely ignoring the current behaviour and likely the reason
> >it's done the way it is now... explain output was, and still is
> >primairly, for humans to read.
>
> Humans deserve schemas as well!! :-). As for the likely reason for the
> current behaviour, well, I'd rather have precise,
> non-potentially-ambiguous info than save a few characters.

Just to open a whole new can of worms ;-)

I read an article a couple of days ago about the "machine readable showplan
output" in SQL Server 2005 (basically, it's EXPLAIN output but in XML
format). It does make a lot of sense if yourp rimary interface is !=
commandline (psql), such as pgadmin or phppgadmin. The idea being that you
can stick in *all* the details you want, since you can't possibly clutter
up the display. And you stick them in a well-defined XML format (or another
format if you happen to hate XML) where the client-side program can easily
parse out whatever it needs. It's also future-proof - if you add a new
field somewhere, the client program parser won't break.

Something worth doing? Not to replace the current explain output, but as a
second option (EXPLAIN XML whatever)?

//Magnus