Re: The order of postgresql.conf parameters is potentially confusing. Very minor cosmetic bug or "niggle"! - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From David G. Johnston
Subject Re: The order of postgresql.conf parameters is potentially confusing. Very minor cosmetic bug or "niggle"!
Date
Msg-id CAKFQuwZhWW4QE+_8SY5guJgpyb7t7Z=Q7QbQ=KP+jmjdQrogZQ@mail.gmail.com
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In response to The order of postgresql.conf parameters is potentially confusing. Very minor cosmetic bug or "niggle"!  (Pól Ua Laoínecháin <linehanp@tcd.ie>)
List pgsql-bugs
On Wed, Sep 1, 2021 at 9:11 AM Pól Ua Laoínecháin <linehanp@tcd.ie> wrote:
I used pgtune to configure my system and received the following
...
min_wal_size = 1GB
max_wal_size = 4GB
...
max_worker_processes = 2
max_parallel_workers_per_gather = 1
max_parallel_workers = 2
max_parallel_maintenance_workers = 1
[...]

Surely then, the max_parallel_workers parameter should appear before
the two others which depend on it?

I agree with this premise.
 
I realise that these are not show-stoppers but at least in the case of
the max_wal_ and min_wal_ size parameters, the inversion is a source
of cognitive dissonance which a simple swapping of their respective
positions would solve.


If one considers importance or utility when deciding upon the order then max coming before min is the correct order; it is surely more important to clamp the maximum than it is to ensure some minimum amount is present as a performance optimization.  A minor point, but the status quo is also alphabetical.

Apparently pgTune has its own way of determining order, which also isn't alphabetical and doesn't, at least for the workers, match the supplied logic.  As the program of lesser importance it should be changed to match what the server does, not vice-versa.  IOW, I agree that the mixup regarding max/min WAL is worthy of being avoided - but the change should be in pgTune, not postgresql.conf.

David J.

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