default locale considered harmful? (was Re: Using index for "like 'ABC%'" type query)

From: Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>
To: Andrew Sullivan <andrew(at)libertyrms(dot)info>
Cc: pgsql-general <pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org>, pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: default locale considered harmful? (was Re: Using index for "like 'ABC%'" type query)
Date: 2003-04-18 14:48:21
Message-ID: 3954.1050677301@sss.pgh.pa.us
Views: Whole Thread | Raw Message | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-general pgsql-hackers

Andrew Sullivan <andrew(at)libertyrms(dot)info> writes:
>> [ can't LIKE use an index? ]

> Yes. But locale is enabled by default now, and if you use anything
> other than C (and other-than-C is increasingly the default on the
> supported platforms), it won't work. Just make sure that your locale
> is C when you do initdb.

I recall someone floating a proposal that initdb should by default
initialize the database in C locale, not whatever-it-finds-in-the-
environment. To get a non-C locale you'd have to give an explicit
command-line switch --- essentially, reversing the sense of the present
"initdb --no-locale" option.

I'm beginning to think that would be a good idea, given the increasing
prevalence of en_US as a platform locale setting. Comments?

regards, tom lane

In response to

Responses

Browse pgsql-general by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Bruce Momjian 2003-04-18 15:07:15 Re: [HACKERS] default locale considered harmful? (was Re:
Previous Message Tom Lane 2003-04-18 14:40:44 Re: Weird "template1" errors on CREATE DATABASE

Browse pgsql-hackers by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Tom Lane 2003-04-18 14:51:39 Re: [PERFORM] Foreign key performance
Previous Message Stephan Szabo 2003-04-18 14:47:15 Re: [PERFORM] Foreign key performance