Thread: any way to make query use index?
I am working through our application looking for ways to eliminate seq scans in our database. I am looking for some help with this query. SELECT rev_desc FROM rev_code_desc WHERE rev_code = lpad('0300', 4, '0') Is there anyway to make postgres use an index on this query? Here is the table definition: CREATE TABLE rev_code_desc ( rev_code character(4) NOT NULL, rev_desc text, user_id character varying(12), live_rec boolean DEFAULT true, CONSTRAINT rev_code_desc_pkey PRIMARY KEY (rev_code) ) Right now, I can't seem to get it to use an index for this type of query. Of course, in our application it is SELECT rev_desc FROM rev_code_desc WHERE rev_code = lpad(<program variable>, 4, '0'). Thanks for any help, Chris PG 8.1.3
"Chris Hoover" <revoohc@gmail.com> writes: > SELECT rev_desc FROM rev_code_desc WHERE rev_code = lpad('0300', 4, '0') > Is there anyway to make postgres use an index on this query? > Here is the table definition: > CREATE TABLE rev_code_desc > ( > rev_code character(4) NOT NULL, Since rev_code is char(n), you need to cast the other thing to char(n) as well: SELECT rev_desc FROM rev_code_desc WHERE rev_code = lpad('0300', 4, '0')::char(4) lpad() is declared to return text, which means that your original query resolves as ... WHERE rev_code::text = lpad('0300', 4, '0'), which means that the index on rev_code is useless (since it has bpchar semantics not text semantics). If changing the queries seems impractical, you could add an index on rev_code::text, or reconsider the choice of column type. regards, tom lane
On Nov 15, 2007 11:25 AM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote: > > Here is the table definition: > > CREATE TABLE rev_code_desc > > ( > > rev_code character(4) NOT NULL, > If changing the queries seems impractical, you could add an index on > rev_code::text, or reconsider the choice of column type. > > regards, tom lane > how would you create this index? create index rev_code_text_idx on rev_code_desc(rev_code::text) fails complaining "ERROR: syntax error at or near "::"" Thanks Chris
"Chris Hoover" <revoohc@gmail.com> writes: > On Nov 15, 2007 11:25 AM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote: >> If changing the queries seems impractical, you could add an index on >> rev_code::text, or reconsider the choice of column type. > how would you create this index? create index rev_code_text_idx on > rev_code_desc(rev_code::text) fails complaining "ERROR: syntax error > at or near "::"" You need more parentheses --- read the docs about expression indexes. regards, tom lane