Re: not using partial index

Willy-Bas Loos <willybas(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm using PostgreSQL 8.4 (and also 8.3).
>
>A partial index like this:
>CREATE INDEX table2_field1_idx
> ON table2 (field1)
> WHERE NOT field1 ISNULL;
>
>Will not be used when select one record from 100K records:
>
>explain select * from table2 where field1 = 256988
>'Seq Scan on table2 (cost=0.00..1693.01 rows=1 width=4)'
>' Filter: (field1 = 256988)'
>
>But it WILL be used like this:
>
>explain select * from table2 where field1 = 256988 and not field1 isnull
>'Index Scan using table2_field1_idx on table2 (cost=0.00..8.28 rows=1
>width=4)'
>' Index Cond: (field1 = 256988)'
>
>
>But, when i change the index from"NOT field1 ISNULL " to "field1 NOTNULL",
>then the index WILL be used in both queries:
>
>explain select * from table1 where field1 = 256988
>'Index Scan using table1_field1_idx on table1 (cost=0.00..8.28 rows=1
>width=4)'
>' Index Cond: (field1 = 256988)'
>
>'Index Scan using table1_field1_idx on table1 (cost=0.00..8.28 rows=1
>width=4)'
>' Index Cond: (field1 = 256988)'
>' Filter: (NOT (field1 IS NULL))'
>
>
>Any ideas why this might be?
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>WBL
>
>Code below:
>
>--drop table table1;
>create table table1(field1 integer);
>CREATE INDEX table1_field1_idx
> ON table1 (field1)
> WHERE field1 NOTNULL;
>insert into table1 values(null);
>insert into table1 select generate_series(1,100000);
>
>vacuum analyze table1;
>
>explain select * from table1 where field1 = 256988
>explain select * from table1 where field1 = 256988 and not field1 isnull
>
>
>--drop table table2;
>create table table2(field1 integer);
>CREATE INDEX table2_field1_idx
> ON table2 (field1)
> WHERE NOT field1 ISNULL;
>insert into table2 values(null);
>insert into table2 select generate_series(1,100000);
>
>vacuum analyze table2;
>
>explain select * from table2 where field1 = 256988
>explain select * from table2 where field1 = 256988 and not field1 isnull
>
>
>--
>"Patriotism is the conviction that your country is superior to all others
>because you were born in it." -- George Bernard Shaw