Thread: minor bug in 7.0: casting

Another one here ...

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From: Don Baccus <dhogaza@pacifier.com>

At 04:05 PM 2/29/00 -0400, you wrote:

>No, bug reports are most welcome, antagonistic comments aren't ... big
>difference ...

donb=# create table foo(c char(2), v varchar(2));
CREATE
donb=# select * from foo where c::varchar = v::varchar;
ERROR:  Unable to identify an operator '=' for types 'bpchar' and 'varchar'       You will have to retype this query
usingan explicit cast
 
donb=# select * from foo where cast(c as varchar) = cast(v as varchar);
ERROR:  Unable to identify an operator '=' for types 'bpchar' and 'varchar'       You will have to retype this query
usingan explicit cast
 
donb=# select * from foo where cast(c as text) = cast(v as text);
ERROR:  Unable to identify an operator '=' for types 'bpchar' and 'varchar'       You will have to retype this query
usingan explicit cast
 

If conversion isn't going to be supported, the error message should
be improved (feel free to forward this to the appropriate person).

In this case, the working application actually fills both variables
(in practice, from different tables) with two-character state codes,
so the cast would work.  Should casts presume the user doesn't know
what they're doing?  I don't know.  I can fix this, of course, by
changing the data model I've inherited from Oracle to consistently
use either char(2) or varchar(2).




- Don Baccus, Portland OR <dhogaza@pacifier.com> Nature photos, on-line guides, Pacific Northwest Rare Bird Alert
Serviceand other goodies at http://donb.photo.net.
 
=====================

The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org> writes:
> Another one here ...

> From: Don Baccus <dhogaza@pacifier.com>
> donb=# create table foo(c char(2), v varchar(2));
> CREATE
> donb=# select * from foo where c::varchar = v::varchar;
> ERROR:  Unable to identify an operator '=' for types 'bpchar' and 'varchar'
>         You will have to retype this query using an explicit cast

As of current sources:

regression=# create table foo(c char(2), v varchar(2));
CREATE
regression=# select * from foo where c::varchar = v::varchar;c | v
---+---
(0 rows)

I thought I fixed that before 7.0beta1, but am not feeling eager to
rummage through cvs logs to prove it.
        regards, tom lane