Re: pg_basebackup --xlog compatibility break

On Tue, May 29, 2012 at 8:51 PM, Fujii Masao <masao(dot)fujii(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 2:03 AM, Robert Haas <robertmhaas(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
>> On Mon, May 28, 2012 at 4:38 PM, Magnus Hagander <magnus(at)hagander(dot)net> wrote:
>>> On Mon, May 28, 2012 at 10:11 PM, Peter Eisentraut <peter_e(at)gmx(dot)net> wrote:
>>>> In 9.1, the pg_basebackup option --xlog takes no argument.  In 9.2, it
>>>> takes a required argument.  I think such compatibility breaks should be
>>>> avoided, especially in client-side programs.  Now you can't write a
>>>> script running pg_basebackup that works with 9.1 and 9.2, if you need to
>>>> include the WAL.
>>>>
>>>> I think the behavior of -x/--xlog should be restored to the state of
>>>> 9.1, and a new option should be added to select between the fetch and
>>>> stream methods.  (With a suitable default, this would also increase
>>>> usability a bit.)
>>>
>>> Just to be clear - it's not possible to actually accept -x with an
>>> *optional* parameter, is it? Meaning "-x" would mean the same as "-x
>>> fetch" and therefor become backwards compatible?
>>>
>>> IIRC I did try that, and didn't get it to work - but if that's doable,
>>> that seems like the cleanest way?
>>
>> Aren't you still going to have situations where it's the behavior
>> changes, if you go this route?
>>
>> Consider this command line:
>>
>> $ foo -b bar
>>
>> Is bar an argument to -b, or an argument to foo?  If -b required or
>> forbade an argument it would be clear, but if the argument is optional
>> then it's fuzzy.  Similarly, consider:
>>
>> $ foo -bar
>>
>> If -b takes no argument then this means the same thing as "foo -b -a
>> -r", but and if -b requires an argument then ar is the argument to
>> foo.  If -b takes an optional argument, then it's ambiguous.
>>
>> I don't remember the exact behavior of getopt_long(), but I bet if we
>> go this route we'll find that there are cases where the behavior
>> changes vs. older releases; they'll just be subtler.  Peter's
>> suggestion of a separate switch seems better to me for that reason.
>
> You're right. I thought that optional parameter is possible because
> I recalled GNU extended getopt(3) supported that. After reading its man,
> I found that an argument must be in the same word as the option name
> to specify an argument, e.g., -xfetch (not -x fetch). This optional
> parameter looks confusing to a user. So I agree to add another parameter.

Yeah, good arguments all around, i agree too :-) Next question is -
suggestions for naming of said paramter?

--
 Magnus Hagander
 Me: http://www.hagander.net/
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