Re: Arrays versus 'type constant' syntax

> I can see three ways to proceed:
> 1. Forget about making arrays easier to use.
> 2. Remove "AexprConst ::= Typename Sconst" from the grammar. I do
> not believe this rule is in SQL92. However, we've recommended
> constructions like "default text 'now'" often enough that we might
> not be able to get away with that.

Sorry, this *is* SQL92 syntax. The older Postgres syntax using
"::typename" is also supported, but is not standard anything, so I've
been trying to move examples, etc. to the standard syntax when I can.

> 3. Simplify the AexprConst rule to only allow a subset of Typename
> --- it looks like forbidding array types in this context is enough.
> (You could still write a cast using :: or AS, of course, instead of
> "int4[3] '{1,2,3}'". The latter has never worked anyway.)
> I'm leaning to choice #3, but I wonder if anyone has a better idea.

I don't have a strong opinion about what #3 would introduce as far as
future constraints.

- Thomas

--
Thomas Lockhart lockhart(at)alumni(dot)caltech(dot)edu
South Pasadena, California