What does "Table rewrite" mean? - Mailing list pgsql-docs

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Subject What does "Table rewrite" mean?
Date
Msg-id 20180119160340.3623.98926@wrigleys.postgresql.org
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Responses Re: What does "Table rewrite" mean?  (Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>)
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The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:

Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.5/static/sql-altertable.html
Description:

I see references to a "table rewrite" all over the place, but I cannot find
one single definition on what that actually means.

What does a table rewrite do?  Does it drop and recreate the table?
Everywhere I look people describe it with fear and trepedation as if it was
some catastrophically dangerous operation to perform.  What is it?

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