Re: BUG #18295: In PostgreSQL a unique index on targeted columns is sufficient to support a foreign key - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From David Rowley
Subject Re: BUG #18295: In PostgreSQL a unique index on targeted columns is sufficient to support a foreign key
Date
Msg-id CAApHDvoaMq1oGxJbfVK4Miwp=0DbhuTJhkUuYOw-Q=WkOmH-qQ@mail.gmail.com
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In response to Re: BUG #18295: In PostgreSQL a unique index on targeted columns is sufficient to support a foreign key  (Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at>)
Responses Re: BUG #18295: In PostgreSQL a unique index on targeted columns is sufficient to support a foreign key
List pgsql-bugs
On Fri, 26 Jan 2024 at 23:55, Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at> wrote:
> Attached is my suggested patch.

Why did you choose to remove the mention of primary key and unique
constraints in:

+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ddl.sgml
@@ -1317,9 +1317,7 @@ CREATE TABLE posts (
    </para>

    <para>
-    A foreign key must reference columns that either are a primary key or
-    form a unique constraint.  This means that the referenced columns always
-    have an index (the one underlying the primary key or unique constraint);
+    A foreign key must reference columns on which a unique index in defined,

but choose to keep them here:

+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/create_table.sgml
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ WITH ( MODULUS <replaceable
class="parameter">numeric_literal</replaceable>, REM
       class="parameter">refcolumn</replaceable> list is omitted, the
       primary key of the <replaceable class="parameter">reftable</replaceable>
       is used.  The referenced columns must be the columns of a non-deferrable
-      unique or primary key constraint in the referenced table.  The user
+      unique or primary key constraint or a unique index in the
referenced table.  The user

I'd rather we continue to mention primary keys and unique constraints
in ddl.sgml.  It just seems good practice to me to define a constraint
and it seems better if people continue to do that to increase the
likelihood that their schema is compatible with another RDBMS.

David



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