Re: [HACKERS] TRANSACTIONS

Jose Soares <jose(at)sferacarta(dot)com> writes:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Interbase, Oracle,Informix,Solid,Ms-Access,DB2:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> connect hygea.gdb;
> create table temp(a int);
> insert into temp values (1);
> insert into temp values (1000000000000000000000000000000000);
> commit;
> select * from temp;

> arithmetic exception, numeric overflow, or string truncation

> A
> ===========
> 1

> I would like to know what the Standard says and who is in the rigth path
> PostgreSQL or the others, considering the two examples reported below.

I think those other guys are unquestionably failing to conform to SQL92.
6.10 general rule 3.a says

a) If SD is exact numeric or approximate numeric, then

Case:

i) If there is a representation of SV in the data type TD
that does not lose any leading significant digits after
rounding or truncating if necessary, then TV is that rep-
resentation. The choice of whether to round or truncate is
implementation-defined.

ii) Otherwise, an exception condition is raised: data exception-
numeric value out of range.

and 3.3.4.1 says

The phrase "an exception condition is raised:", followed by the
name of a condition, is used in General Rules and elsewhere to
indicate that the execution of a statement is unsuccessful, ap-
plication of General Rules, other than those of Subclause 12.3,
"<procedure>", and Subclause 20.1, "<direct SQL statement>", may
be terminated, diagnostic information is to be made available,
and execution of the statement is to have no effect on SQL-data or
schemas. The effect on <target specification>s and SQL descriptor
areas of an SQL-statement that terminates with an exception condi-
tion, unless explicitly defined by this International Standard, is
implementation-dependent.

I see no way that allowing the transaction to commit after an overflow
can be called consistent with the spec.

regards, tom lane