Re: Bug in pg_dump

* Joel Jacobson wrote:

> The example from Tom Lane below results in a database which is not
> possible to correctly dump using pg_dump.
>
> The view v1 strangely becomes a table in the dump output?!

This is no bug, it's a feature (tm).

pg_dump is clever enough to detect the circular dependency and break it
open by creating v1 in two steps.

A view in PostgreSQL is simply an empty table with an ON SELECT DO
INSTEAD rule named "_RETURN" on it. pg_dump first creates the empty
table, then view v2 depending on that table, and finally the _RETURN
rule turning v1 into a view and reintroducing the circular dependency.

--
Christian