Re: Opinion wanted on UUID/GUID datatype output formats. - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Tom Dunstan
Subject Re: Opinion wanted on UUID/GUID datatype output formats.
Date
Msg-id 45113A68.5050607@tomd.cc
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: Opinion wanted on UUID/GUID datatype output formats.  ("Jim C. Nasby" <jimn@enterprisedb.com>)
Responses Re: Opinion wanted on UUID/GUID datatype output formats.
List pgsql-hackers
>>> devdb=# select * from tbluuid;
>>>                 pk                |
>>> ----------------------------------+
>>>  6b13c5a1afb4dcf5ce8f8b4656b6c93c |
>>>  01e40a79b55b6e226bffb577e960453d |
>>> (2 rows)
>> The UUID standards define a single perfectly clear format, and the one 
>> you show is not it.
>>
>>> I was wondering if we want to have a formatting function to be able
>>> to provide other common formats of the uuid/guid?
>> If you stick to the standard format, I don't think that will be 
>> necessary.
> 
> +1. For people that care about the non-standard MSSQL format, they can
> easily create their own function that will wrap it in {}.

Having been reading through this thread, I was about to make the above 
points, but was glad to see that I was beaten to it.

The dashless format is neither standards compliant nor compatible with 
other databases that have uuid functions (notably MS SQL Server and 
MySQL), nor with microsoft tools where they're used frequently. 
(ignoring the {} wrapping stuff which is trivial).

If we add a UUID type to core, I think that a vast majority of the 
people who are going to want to use it out there will be expecting the 
standard format with dashes. And asking them to put a formatting 
function into every query is beyond horrific.

If we want a general raw hex type then let's call it something else, 
because calling it UUID will just confuse people. Everyone else follows 
the standard on this; we should too.

Tom


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