Re: Range Types - typo + NULL string constructor - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Robert Haas
Subject Re: Range Types - typo + NULL string constructor
Date
Msg-id CA+TgmobkWFBw6S7AC1h3YW4zugm4zBYu5bE9jgORq77TNrgj7g@mail.gmail.com
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In response to Re: Range Types - typo + NULL string constructor  (Jeff Davis <pgsql@j-davis.com>)
Responses Re: Range Types - typo + NULL string constructor
Re: Range Types - typo + NULL string constructor
List pgsql-hackers
On Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 1:51 AM, Jeff Davis <pgsql@j-davis.com> wrote:
>> select '[ 2 , NULL )'::int4range;
>> ERROR:  NULL range boundaries are not supported
>> LINE 1: select '[ 2 , NULL )'::int4range;
>
> I think this might require more opinions. There is a trade-off here
> between convenience and confusion: accepting NULL is convenient in the
> constructors, because it avoids the need to have extra constructors just
> for unbounded ranges; but could lead to confusion between NULL and INF
> (which are not the same).

I agree with this line of reasoning.  I think we will be making pain
for ourselves if we need to invent a bunch more constructors just to
have a way of indicating an unbounded range, but OTOH I don't see any
compelling reason why the type input function needs to accept N-U-L-L.

--
Robert Haas
EnterpriseDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com
The Enterprise PostgreSQL Company


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