Ian,
Re: However you might find the pg_trgm extension [1] useful:
Indeed... pretty awesome.
Thanks !
On 26 January 2015 at 12:55, Ian Barwick <ian@2ndquadrant.com> wrote:
> On 26/01/15 20:32, Tim Smith wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Is there a more efficient way to pattern match integer columns other
>> than something like :
>>
>> where cast(mynumber as text) ~ '.*123.*'
>>
>>
>> I also seem to recall you can't create indexes on casts either ?
>
> This is perfectly possible:
>
> postgres=# CREATE TABLE foo (id INT);
> CREATE TABLE
> postgres=# CREATE INDEX idx ON foo (CAST(id AS TEXT) text_pattern_ops);
> CREATE INDEX
> postgres=# INSERT INTO foo values(generate_series(1,1000000));
> INSERT 0 1000000
>
> but not necessarily useful...
>
> postgres=# explain analyze SELECT * from foo where id::text ~ '.*12345.*';
> QUERY PLAN
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Seq Scan on foo (cost=0.00..21925.00 rows=100 width=4) (actual time=17.331..961.384 rows=20 loops=1)
> Filter: ((id)::text ~ '.*12345.*'::text)
> Rows Removed by Filter: 999980
> Planning time: 0.296 ms
> Execution time: 961.411 ms
> (5 rows)
>
> However you might find the pg_trgm extension [1] useful:
>
> postgres=# CREATE TABLE foo (id INT);
> CREATE TABLE
> postgres=# CREATE INDEX trgm_idx ON foo using gist(cast(id as text) gist_trgm_ops);
> CREATE INDEX
> postgres=# INSERT INTO foo values(generate_series(1,1000000));
> INSERT 0 1000000
> postgres=# explain analyze SELECT * from foo where id::text ~ '.*12345.*';
> QUERY PLAN
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bitmap Heap Scan on foo (cost=200.47..4938.11 rows=5184 width=4) (actual time=61.163..61.211 rows=20 loops=1)
> Recheck Cond: ((id)::text ~ '.*12345.*'::text)
> Heap Blocks: exact=11
> -> Bitmap Index Scan on trgm_idx (cost=0.00..199.17 rows=5184 width=0) (actual time=61.140..61.140 rows=20
loops=1)
> Index Cond: ((id)::text ~ '.*12345.*'::text)
> Planning time: 0.241 ms
> Execution time: 61.257 ms
> (7 rows)
>
>
> [1] http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/interactive/pgtrgm.html
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Ian Barwick
>
> --
> Ian Barwick http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
> PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training & Services
