Implementing Bitmap Indexes

Hello.

I'd like to implement bitmap indexes and want your comments. Here is
an essence of what I've found regarding bitmaps for the last month.

Consider the following table So, the bitmap for attribute A will be the
with 1 attribute A(int2): following:
# | A Val | Bitmap(s)
----+--- -----+---------------
1 | 1 1 | 11011001 0111
2 | 1 2 | 00100100 1000
3 | 2 3 | 00000010 0000
4 | 1
5 | 1
6 | 2
7 | 3
8 | 1
9 | 2
10 | 1
11 | 1
12 | 1

Some points:
1) If some new value will be inserted (say, 4) at some point of time, a new
bitmap for it will be added. Same for NULLs (if atrribute has no NOT NULL
contraint) --- one more bitmap. Or should we restrict "NOT NULL" for
bitmap'ed attributes?;

2) Queries, like "where A = 1" or "where A != 2" will require only 1 scan of
the index, while "where A < 3" will require 2 stages: 1st create a
list of
values lesser then 3, 2nd --- do OR of all bitmaps for that values.
For high cardinality attributes, this can take a lot of time;

3) Each bitmap is only a bitmap, so there should be an array of
corresponding
ctids pointers. Maybe, some more arrays (pages, don't know).

For 2)nd --- there are techniques, allowing better performance for "A < 3"
queries via increased storage space (see here for details:
http://delab.csd.auth.gr/papers/ADBIS03mmnm.pdf) and increased reaction time
for simple queries. I don't know, if they should be implemented, may later.

The most tricky part will be combinig multiple index scans on several
attributes --- as Neil Conway said on #postrgesql, this will be tricky,
as some
modifications will be needed in the index scan api. I remember, Tom Lane
suggested on-disk bitmaps --- implementing bitmap index access method
would be of much use not only for bitmap indexes, I think.

WAH compressing method should be used for bitmaps (to my mind). Also,
there is
a method of reordering heap tuples for better compression of bitmaps, I
thought
it may be possible to implement it as some option to the existing CLUSTER
command, papers:
WAH: http://www-library.lbl.gov/docs/LBNL/496/26/PDF/LBNL-49626.pdf
CLUSTER: http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~hakan/publications/reordering.pdf

I'd like to hear from you, before starting to do something.

--

Victor