Thread: transaction_timestamp()
Howdy,
I have an archiving script running in an 8.3 environment using transaction_timestamp() for the INSERT and DELETE operations. I want to run the same thing in an 8.1 environment but transaction_timestamp() does not exist in 8.1. now() will not work because of the time that elapses between the INSERT and DELETE operations (I will end up losing some data). Does anyone have any suggestions, please?
Thanks,
Sam
Samuel Stearns <SStearns@internode.com.au> writes: > I have an archiving script running in an 8.3 environment using transaction_timestamp() for the INSERT and DELETE operations. I want to run the same thing in an 8.1 environment but transaction_timestamp() does not exist in 8.1. now()will not work because of the time that elapses between the INSERT and DELETE operations (I will end up losing some data). Does anyone have any suggestions, please? Um ... transaction_timestamp() is exactly the same thing as now(). Perhaps you need to go re-read http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/functions-datetime.html#FUNCTIONS-DATETIME-CURRENT regards, tom lane
Thanks, Tom. I read it again. I got into trouble using now() before. Transaction_timestamp() is really what I need, I think. I have a table that is updated multiple times/second. My archiving command operation: BEGIN; INSERT INTO blah_archive (id, user) SELECT id, user FROM blah where date < (now() - '30 days'::interval); DELETE FROM blah where date < (now() - '30 days'::interval); END; The now() on the INSERT will be a different time than the now() on the DELETE resulting in more rows deleted than were inserted. Whereas transaction_timestamp() takes care of the problem because both INSERT and DELETE operations work off of the one timestampthat the transaction started. Sam -----Original Message----- From: Tom Lane [mailto:tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us] Sent: Tuesday, 25 May 2010 2:02 PM To: Samuel Stearns Cc: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org Subject: Re: [ADMIN] transaction_timestamp() Samuel Stearns <SStearns@internode.com.au> writes: > I have an archiving script running in an 8.3 environment using transaction_timestamp() for the INSERT and DELETE operations. I want to run the same thing in an 8.1 environment but transaction_timestamp() does not exist in 8.1. now()will not work because of the time that elapses between the INSERT and DELETE operations (I will end up losing some data). Does anyone have any suggestions, please? Um ... transaction_timestamp() is exactly the same thing as now(). Perhaps you need to go re-read http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/functions-datetime.html#FUNCTIONS-DATETIME-CURRENT regards, tom lane
Samuel Stearns <SStearns@internode.com.au> wrote: > Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote: >> transaction_timestamp() is exactly the same thing as now(). > I got into trouble using now() before. Using what? What kind of trouble? > Transaction_timestamp() is really what I need, I think. test=# \x Expanded display is on. test=# begin; BEGIN test=# select now(), current_timestamp, transaction_timestamp(); -[ RECORD 1 ]---------+------------------------------ now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 transaction_timestamp | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 [wait ten seconds or so...] test=# select now(), current_timestamp, transaction_timestamp(); -[ RECORD 1 ]---------+------------------------------ now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 transaction_timestamp | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 test=# commit; COMMIT test=# select now(), current_timestamp, transaction_timestamp(); -[ RECORD 1 ]---------+------------------------------ now | 2010-05-25 12:41:50.765224-05 now | 2010-05-25 12:41:50.765224-05 transaction_timestamp | 2010-05-25 12:41:50.765224-05 > BEGIN; > INSERT INTO blah_archive (id, user) SELECT id, user FROM blah > where date < (now() - '30 days'::interval); > DELETE FROM blah where date < (now() - '30 days'::interval); > END; > > The now() on the INSERT will be a different time than the now() on > the DELETE What makes you think that? -Kevin
Hi Tom and Kevin, I stand corrected. It was awhile ago that I last played around with this. I must have had the DELETE operation outsidethe transaction block back then possibly. Thanks for setting me straight. Sorry about the waste of time. Sam -----Original Message----- From: Kevin Grittner [mailto:Kevin.Grittner@wicourts.gov] Sent: Wednesday, 26 May 2010 3:13 AM To: Samuel Stearns Cc: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org; Tom Lane Subject: Re: [ADMIN] transaction_timestamp() Samuel Stearns <SStearns@internode.com.au> wrote: > Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote: >> transaction_timestamp() is exactly the same thing as now(). > I got into trouble using now() before. Using what? What kind of trouble? > Transaction_timestamp() is really what I need, I think. test=# \x Expanded display is on. test=# begin; BEGIN test=# select now(), current_timestamp, transaction_timestamp(); -[ RECORD 1 ]---------+------------------------------ now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 transaction_timestamp | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 [wait ten seconds or so...] test=# select now(), current_timestamp, transaction_timestamp(); -[ RECORD 1 ]---------+------------------------------ now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 now | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 transaction_timestamp | 2010-05-25 12:41:34.365224-05 test=# commit; COMMIT test=# select now(), current_timestamp, transaction_timestamp(); -[ RECORD 1 ]---------+------------------------------ now | 2010-05-25 12:41:50.765224-05 now | 2010-05-25 12:41:50.765224-05 transaction_timestamp | 2010-05-25 12:41:50.765224-05 > BEGIN; > INSERT INTO blah_archive (id, user) SELECT id, user FROM blah > where date < (now() - '30 days'::interval); > DELETE FROM blah where date < (now() - '30 days'::interval); > END; > > The now() on the INSERT will be a different time than the now() on > the DELETE What makes you think that? -Kevin
Samuel Stearns <SStearns@internode.com.au> wrote: > Sorry about the waste of time. It happens. One tip which might be useful with future issues is to try to put together a simple case demonstrating the issue (similar to what I posted on this thread). Sometimes the process of preparing that will make the answer obvious; when it doesn't, posting it will make it much easier for people to give useful advice. I'm glad you've got a solution that works for you now. -Kevin