Re: hiding variable-length fields from Form_pg_* structs - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> writes:
> On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 2:47 PM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:
>> Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net> writes:
>>> To clarify, I believe the rule is that the first variable-length field
>>> can be accessed as a struct field.  Are there any exceptions to this?

>> If it is known not null, yes, but I wonder just how many places actually
>> depend on that.

> My impression is that all the varlena fields also allow nulls.

See MARKNOTNULL in bootstrap.c.  I think the exceptions were designed to
protect direct accesses to pg_index.
        regards, tom lane