Re: Pgoutput not capturing the generated columns

Hi,

AFAICT this v2-0001 patch differences from v1 is mostly about adding
the new CREATE SUBSCRIPTION option. Specifically, I don't think it is
addressing any of my previous review comments for patch v1. [1]. So
these comments below are limited only to the new option code; All my
previous review comments probably still apply.

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Commit message

1. (General)
The commit message is seriously lacking background explanation to describe:
- What is the current behaviour w.r.t. generated columns
- What is the problem with the current behaviour?
- What exactly is this patch doing to address that problem?

~

2.
New option generated_option is added in create subscription. Now if this
option is specified as 'true' during create subscription, generated
columns in the tables, present in publisher (to which this subscription is
subscribed) can also be replicated.

-

2A.
"generated_option" is not the name of the new option.

~

2B.
"create subscription" stmt should be UPPERCASE; will also be more
readable if the option name is quoted.

~

2C.
Needs more information like under what condition is this option ignored etc.

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doc/src/sgml/ref/create_subscription.sgml

3.
+ <varlistentry id="sql-createsubscription-params-with-generated-column">
+ <term><literal>generated-column</literal> (<type>boolean</type>)</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ Specifies whether the generated columns present in the tables
+ associated with the subscription should be replicated. The default is
+ <literal>false</literal>.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ This parameter can only be set true if copy_data is set to false.
+ This option works fine when a generated column (in
publisher) is replicated to a
+ non-generated column (in subscriber). Else if it is
replicated to a generated
+ column, it will ignore the replicated data and fill the
column with computed or
+ default data.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>

3A.
There is a typo in the name "generated-column" because we should use
underscores (not hyphens) for the option names.

~

3B.
This it is not a good option name because there is no verb so it
doesn't mean anything to set it true/false -- actually there IS a verb
"generate" but we are not saying generate = true/false, so this name
is also quite confusing.

I think "include_generated_columns" would be much better, but if
others think that name is too long then maybe "include_generated_cols"
or "include_gen_cols" or similar. Of course, whatever if the final
decision should be propagated same thru all the code comments, params,
fields, etc.

~

3C.
copy_data and false should be marked up as <literal> fonts in the sgml

~

3D.

Suggest re-word this part. Don't need to explain when it "works fine".

BEFORE
This option works fine when a generated column (in publisher) is
replicated to a non-generated column (in subscriber). Else if it is
replicated to a generated column, it will ignore the replicated data
and fill the column with computed or default data.

SUGGESTION
If the subscriber-side column is also a generated column then this
option has no effect; the replicated data will be ignored and the
subscriber column will be filled as normal with the subscriber-side
computed or default data.

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src/backend/commands/subscriptioncmds.c

4. AlterSubscription
SUBOPT_STREAMING | SUBOPT_DISABLE_ON_ERR |
SUBOPT_PASSWORD_REQUIRED |
SUBOPT_RUN_AS_OWNER | SUBOPT_FAILOVER |
- SUBOPT_ORIGIN);
+ SUBOPT_ORIGIN | SUBOPT_GENERATED_COLUMN);

Hmm. Is this correct? If ALTER is not allowed (later in this patch
there is a message "toggling generated_column option is not allowed."
then why are we even saying that SUBOPT_GENERATED_COLUMN is a
support_opt for ALTER?

~~~

5.
+ if (IsSet(opts.specified_opts, SUBOPT_GENERATED_COLUMN))
+ {
+ ereport(ERROR,
+ (errcode(ERRCODE_OBJECT_NOT_IN_PREREQUISITE_STATE),
+ errmsg("toggling generated_column option is not allowed.")));
+ }

5A.
I suspect this is not even needed if the 'supported_opt' is fixed per
the previous comment.

~

5B.
But if this message is still needed then I think it should say "ALTER
is not allowed" (not "toggling is not allowed") and also the option
name should be quoted as per the new guidelines for error messages.

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src/backend/replication/logical/proto.c

6. logicalrep_write_tuple

- if (att->attisdropped || att->attgenerated)
+ if (att->attisdropped)
continue;

if (!column_in_column_list(att->attnum, columns))
continue;

+ if (att->attgenerated && !publish_generated_column)
+

Calling column_in_column_list() might be a more expensive operation
than checking just generated columns flag so maybe reverse the order
and check the generated columns first for a tiny performance gain.

~~

7.
- if (att->attisdropped || att->attgenerated)
+ if (att->attisdropped)
continue;

if (!column_in_column_list(att->attnum, columns))
continue;

+ if (att->attgenerated && !publish_generated_column)
+ continue;

ditto #6

~~

8. logicalrep_write_attrs

- if (att->attisdropped || att->attgenerated)
+ if (att->attisdropped)
continue;

if (!column_in_column_list(att->attnum, columns))
continue;

+ if (att->attgenerated && !publish_generated_column)
+ continue;
+

ditto #6

~~

9.
- if (att->attisdropped || att->attgenerated)
+ if (att->attisdropped)
continue;

if (!column_in_column_list(att->attnum, columns))
continue;

+ if (att->attgenerated && !publish_generated_column)
+ continue;

ditto #6

======
src/include/catalog/pg_subscription.h

10. CATALOG

+ bool subgeneratedcolumn; /* True if generated colums must be published */

/colums/columns/

======
src/test/regress/sql/publication.sql

11.
--- error: generated column "d" can't be in list
+-- ok

Maybe change "ok" to say like "ok: generated cols can be in the list too"

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12.
GENERAL - Missing CREATE SUBSCRIPTION test?
GENERAL - Missing ALTER SUBSCRIPTION test?

How come this patch adds a new CREATE SUBSCRIPTION option but does not
seem to include any test case for that option in either the CREATE
SUBSCRIPTION or ALTER SUBSCRIPTION regression tests?

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[1] My v1 review -
https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/CAHut+PsuJfcaeg6zst=6PE5uyJv_UxVRHU3ck7W2aHb1uQYKng@mail.gmail.com

Kind Regards,
Peter Smith.
Fujitsu Australia