Re: enums - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Andrew Dunstan
Subject Re: enums
Date
Msg-id 43617964.2070403@dunslane.net
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: enums  (Trent Shipley <tshipley@deru.com>)
Responses Re: enums
List pgsql-hackers

Trent Shipley wrote:

>
>An enumeration is just a computer science short-hand way to define a set and a 
>"native" collation for the set. 
>An enumeration's native collation need not be the only, or even the most 
>common, collation for the enumerated set of symbols.
>
>
>  
>

No it's not. Many languages define enumerated types as having a fixed 
ordering. It is not just a set. That is the sense in which I am using 
the term. And, after all, you can always write a function that gives you 
an alternative ordering. All we are building in is an ordering based in 
the enumeration order, which you are at perfect liberty not to use. 
Postgres lets you define an alternative operator class for any type, so 
we are very flexible. People are getting way too hung up over this.

cheers

andrew


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