Re: execute cursor fetch - Mailing list pgsql-performance

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: execute cursor fetch
Date
Msg-id 1856.1097590076@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: execute cursor fetch  (my ho <mthoatbanjo@yahoo.com>)
List pgsql-performance
my ho <mthoatbanjo@yahoo.com> writes:
> If anyone can help pls, I have a question abt the
> execution of cursor create/fetch/move , in particular
> about disk cost. When a cursor is created, is the
> whole table (with the required columns) got put into
> memory?

No.  The plan is set up and then incrementally executed each time you
say FETCH.

> how does postgre speed up the query in
> compare to normal selection?

The only difference from a SELECT is that the planner will prefer
"fast-start" plans, on the theory that you may not be intending
to retrieve the whole result.  For instance it might prefer an
indexscan to a seqscan + sort, when it otherwise wouldn't.

            regards, tom lane

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