Thread: Re: CREATE TABLE AS standard?
> I know I use that version my self a lot more than the SELECT INTO > version. We probably got it 'free' from the CREATE VIEW semantics, > as Tom suggested. I tend to use it to 'materialize' a new table when > I'm altering schema (either denormalizing, or normalizing) and need to > convert the type of a column. It's a little handier than seperate CREATE > TABLE and INSERT INTO statements, although it's sematically equivalent. I implemented CREATE TABLE AS as a semantically clearer version of SELECT/INTO, which was (afaik) in the original Postgres95 and probably earlier. They are equivalent. btw, I assume that Tom used the term "abuse" in the supportive sense of the word? :) - Thomas -- Thomas Lockhart lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu South Pasadena, California
> > I know I use that version my self a lot more than the SELECT INTO > > version. We probably got it 'free' from the CREATE VIEW semantics, > > as Tom suggested. I tend to use it to 'materialize' a new table when > > I'm altering schema (either denormalizing, or normalizing) and need to > > convert the type of a column. It's a little handier than separate CREATE > > TABLE and INSERT INTO statements, although it's semantically equivalent. > > I implemented CREATE TABLE AS as a semantically clearer version of > SELECT/INTO, which was (afaik) in the original Postgres95 and probably > earlier. > > They are equivalent. btw, I assume that Tom used the term "abuse" in > the supportive sense of the word? :) > I covered SELECT...INTO in my book, with a short paragraph showing CREATE TABLE...AS is equivalent. Which one should I use in my book as the preferred? -- Bruce Momjian | http://www.op.net/~candle pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 853-3000+ If your life is a hard drive, | 830 Blythe Avenue + Christ can be your backup. | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania19026
> I covered SELECT...INTO in my book, with a short paragraph showing > CREATE TABLE...AS is equivalent. Which one should I use in my book as > the preferred? imho CREATE TABLE/AS should be emphasized, since SELECT/INTO hides the fact that a table gets created, which is a fundamental operation here. DDF vs DDL vs some other acronym etc etc. - Thomas -- Thomas Lockhart lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu South Pasadena, California