Re: Pgoutput not capturing the generated columns

On Tue, 8 Oct 2024 at 11:37, Shubham Khanna <khannashubham1197(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 9:36 AM Peter Smith <smithpb2250(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Shubham, here are my review comments for v36-0001.
> >
> > ======
> > 1. General - merge patches
> >
> > It is long past due when patches 0001 and 0002 should've been merged.
> > AFAIK the split was only because historically these parts had
> > different authors. But, keeping them separated is not helpful anymore.
> >
> > ======
> > src/backend/catalog/pg_publication.c
> >
> > 2.
> > Bitmapset *
> > -pub_collist_validate(Relation targetrel, List *columns)
> > +pub_collist_validate(Relation targetrel, List *columns, bool pubgencols)
> >
> > Since you removed the WARNING, this parameter 'pubgencols' is unused
> > so it should also be removed.
> >
> > ======
> > src/backend/replication/pgoutput/pgoutput.c
> >
> > 3.
> > /*
> > - * If the publication is FOR ALL TABLES then it is treated the same as
> > - * if there are no column lists (even if other publications have a
> > - * list).
> > + * To handle cases where the publish_generated_columns option isn't
> > + * specified for all tables in a publication, we must create a column
> > + * list that excludes generated columns. So, the publisher will not
> > + * replicate the generated columns.
> > */
> > - if (!pub->alltables)
> > + if (!(pub->alltables && pub->pubgencols))
> >
> > I still found that comment hard to understand. Does this mean to say
> > something like:
> >
> > ------
> > Process potential column lists for the following cases:
> >
> > a. Any publication that is not FOR ALL TABLES.
> >
> > b. When the publication is FOR ALL TABLES and
> > 'publish_generated_columns' is false.
> > A FOR ALL TABLES publication doesn't have user-defined column lists,
> > so all columns will be replicated by default. However, if
> > 'publish_generated_columns' is set to false, column lists must still
> > be created to exclude any generated columns from being published
> > ------
> >
> > ======
> > src/test/regress/sql/publication.sql
> >
> > 4.
> > +SET client_min_messages = 'WARNING';
> > +CREATE TABLE gencols (a int, gen1 int GENERATED ALWAYS AS (a * 2) STORED);
> >
> > AFAIK you don't need to keep changing 'client_min_messages',
> > particularly now that you've removed the WARNING message that was
> > previously emitted.
> >
> > ~
> >
> > 5.
> > nit - minor comment changes.
> >
> > ======
> > Please refer to the attachment which implements any nits from above.
> >
>
> I have fixed all the given comments. Also, I have created a new 0003
> patch for the TAP-Tests related to the '011_generated.pl' file. I am
> planning to merge 0001 and 0003 patches once they will get fixed.
> The attached patches contain the required changes.

There is inconsistency in replication when a generated column is
specified in the column list. The generated column data is not
replicated during initial sync whereas it is getting replicated during
incremental sync:
-- publisher
CREATE TABLE t1(c1 int, c2 int GENERATED ALWAYS AS (c1 * 2) STORED)
INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1);
CREATE PUBLICATION pub1 for table t1(c1, c2);

--subscriber
CREATE TABLE t1(c1 int, c2 int)
CREATE SUBSCRIPTION sub1 connection 'dbname=postgres host=localhost
port=5432' PUBLICATION pub1;

-- Generate column data is not synced during initial sync
postgres=# select * from t1;
c1 | c2
----+----
1 |
(1 row)

-- publisher
INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (2);

-- Whereas generated column data is synced during incremental sync
postgres=# select * from t1;
c1 | c2
----+----
1 |
2 | 4
(2 rows)

Regards,
Vignesh