Re: Altering a table - positioning new columns

I think this is a question of which functionality goes into the actual
database engine, and which functionality is implemented by a front-end tool
like pgAdmin. Obviously, it's possible for the back-end database to handle
this, as MySQL has. This would be through non-standard extensions to SQL.
Another option would be to let the front-end tool let you specify how you
want to see your columns, and remember what order you like to see them in.
This would have the potential advantage of allowing different users to see
the columns in different orders, according to the column order and
groupings that make the most sense to the individual users. Since this is a
feature that's primarily useful for database administration, it might make
more sense to actually put it into the database administration tools.

Wes Sheldahl

"Chris Boget" <chris(at)wild(dot)net>@postgresql.org on 01/20/2003 10:51:32 AM

Sent by: pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org

To: "Nigel J. Andrews" <nandrews(at)investsystems(dot)co(dot)uk>
cc: "Manfred Koizar" <mkoi-pg(at)aon(dot)at>, "PGSql General"
<pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Altering a table - positioning new columns

(snip)
> therefore just as the order of rows returned from a query are undefined,
unless
> explicitly ordered, so are the columns.

Indeed. "Unless explicitly ordered" is the key phrase. As you can
"explicity order"
the rows in a query, it would be nice if you could "explicity order" the
layout of your
table when altered.

> MySQL might be seen as having a good feature if it can manage the column
> ordering bit but imo it's fud, detracting from the real job of a DB.

You are correct. The job of the DB is to keep/hold/serve data. However,
you can't
overlook the person managing that data. Especially when it comes to
large(ish)
tables. It make managing the tables/data harder if you have to look all
over the
place for the fields in a table. Unless you create a table to be 100%
first time (and
that never happens), you will need to search all over the place. It is
nice if you
can have all your date fields in one area, flag fields in another as
opposed to 3
date fields in the middle of the table, 2 towards the end and another at
the very
end.
If you (general "you") have added a bunch of fields to a table, go into
phpPGAdmin,
pgAdmin II (or some other UI) and look at it. You'll see what I mean.

Again, this is something I could learn to live with. But after using mySQL
for 4
years and adding tons of fields to various tables to incorporate new
functionality,
let me tell you how nice it is to be able to place new fields where you
want them
in your table.

Chris

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