Re: ARRAY[1] || NULL <> array_append(ARRAY[1], NULL)

Michael Herold <quabla(at)hemio(dot)de> writes:
> A few minutes ago I got bitten by the following PostgreSQL (9.4) behavior
> SELECT ARRAY[1] || NULL, array_append(ARRAY[1], NULL);
> ?column? | array_append
> ----------+--------------
> {1} | {1,NULL}

> I expected that array_append and || are equivalent in this case but
> obviously they are not.

Yeah, the first case turns out to be array_cat not array_append.

> Sure, this is not too surprising since "||" has
> to guess which operation is appropriate. However, I would have highly
> appreciated ARRAY[1,2] || NULL as an example in [Table 9-45].

Hm. I don't think there is really room for such an example in that table,
and certainly not room for a discursive discussion. What would make more
sense to me is to add a paragraph and example concerning this issue at the
bottom of section 8.15.4, right after array_append and array_cat are
introduced. Since there's already a pointer to 8.15 just below that
table, people would hopefully find the example from that vicinity as well.

Seem reasonable?

regards, tom lane