Thread: Indexing timestamp columns

Indexing timestamp columns

From
Pedro Alves
Date:
Hi

  Is it possible to make a timestamp column use a index in a query like
select foo from bar where timestamp <= smth?


  It all seems ok when I use select foo from bar where timestamp = smth


  Thanks
--
Pedro Miguel G. Alves           pmalves@think.pt
THINK - Tecnologias de Informação   www.think.pt
Tel:   +351 21 412 56 56  Av. José Gomes Ferreira
Fax:   +351 21 412 56 57     nº 13 1495-139 ALGÉS


Re: Indexing timestamp columns

From
Tom Lane
Date:
Pedro Alves <pmalves@think.pt> writes:
>   Is it possible to make a timestamp column use a index in a query like
> select foo from bar where timestamp <= smth?

The planner will do that if it thinks it's appropriate --- which in most
cases it won't.  Unless your limit is pretty close to the oldest
timestamp in the table, this query will be quite unselective and so a
seqscan is actually the better way to do it.

If you want to find out whether the planner guessed right, try forcing
it to use an indexscan (via "set enable_seqscan = off").  Compare
timings.

            regards, tom lane