Re: proposal: schema variables - doc

> On 2021.03.13. 07:01 Pavel Stehule <pavel(dot)stehule(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> Hi
> fresh rebase
> [schema-variables-20210313.patch.gz]

Hi Pavel,

I notice that the phrase 'schema variable' is not in the index at the end ('bookindex.html'). Not good.

It is also not in the index at the front of the manual - also not good.

Maybe these two (front and back index) can be added?

If a user searches the pdf, the first occurrence he finds is at:

43.13.2.4. Global variables and constants
(in itself that occurrence/mention is all right, but is should not be the first find, I think)

(I think there was in earlier versions of the patch an entry in the 'contents', i.e., at the front of the manual). I think it would be good to have it in the front-index, pointing to either LET or CREATE VARIABLE, or maybe even to a small introductory paragraph somewhere else (again, I seem to remember that there was one in an earlier patch version).

Of the new commands that this patch brings, 'LET' is the most immediately illuminating for a user (even when a CREATE VARIABLE has to be done first. There is an entry 'LET' in the index (good), but it would be better if that with LET-entry too the phrase 'schema variable' occurred. (I don't know if that's possible)

Then, in the CREATE VARIABLE paragraphs it says
'Changing a schema variable is non-transactional by default.'

I think that, unless there exists a mode where schema vars can be made transactional, 'by default' should be deleted (and there is no such 'transactional mode' for schema variables, is there?). The 'Description' also has such a 'By default' which is better removed for the same reason.

In the CREATE VARIABLE page the example is:

CREATE VARIABLE var1 AS integer;
SELECT var1;

I suggest to make that

CREATE VARIABLE var1 AS date;
LET var1 = (select current_date);
SELECT var1;

So that the example immediately shows an application of functionality.

Thanks,

Erik Rijkers

>
> Pavel