Re: "SELECT FROM foo" acts like "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM foo"?

SELECT
COUNT(*)
FROM
table_name
WHERE
condition;

Rodrigo Dev
Visite: https://rodrigoluna.net.br
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> Em 1 de fev. de 2023, à(s) 17:00, Ron <ronljohnsonjr(at)gmail(dot)com> escreveu:
>
>  v12.13
>
> https://www.postgresql.org/docs/12/sql-select.html
>
> The docs say that one of these are required in the SELECT list.
> [ * | expression [ [ AS ] output_name ] [, ...] ]
> However, not mentioning anything also works, though acts like COUNT(*).
>
> test=# select * from sales_detail;
> cust_id | order_ts | seq_no | inventory_id | quantity | price | tax_rate
> ---------+-------------------------+--------+--------------+----------+--------+----------
> 1 | 2020-01-05 13:05:42.567 | 1 | 12345 | 5.80 | 28.40 | 0.092
> 1 | 2020-01-05 13:05:42.567 | 2 | 23456 | 6.00 | 98.40 | 0.092
> 1 | 2020-01-05 13:05:42.567 | 3 | 34567 | 1.80 | 67.00 | 0.092
> 1 | 2020-01-05 13:05:42.567 | 4 | 45678 | 450.00 | 2.00 | 0.092
> 1 | 2020-02-05 13:05:42.567 | 1 | 6575 | 5.20 | 567.00 | 0.045
> 1 | 2020-02-05 13:05:42.567 | 2 | 4565 | 456.00 | 545.00 | 0.045
> 1 | 2020-02-05 13:05:42.567 | 3 | 7899 | 768.00 | 432.00 | 0.045
> 1 | 2020-02-05 13:05:42.567 | 4 | 2354 | 556.00 | 890.00 | 0.045
> 1 | 2020-03-05 13:05:42.567 | 1 | 6575 | 5.20 | 567.00 | 0.045
> 1 | 2020-03-05 13:05:42.567 | 2 | 4565 | 456.00 | 545.00 | 0.045
> 1 | 2020-03-05 13:05:42.567 | 3 | 7899 | 768.00 | 432.00 | 0.045
> (11 rows)
>
> test=#
> test=# select from sales_detail;
> --
> (11 rows)
>
> Is it interpreting the lack of column names, expressions or "*" as a null expression?
>
> We only noticed this when someone forgot to put an asterisk in a psql query and thought something was broken. We expected psql to throw a syntax error...
>
> --
> Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.