Thread: Conformance of PostgreSQL to ANSI/ISO Standard
I have been looking at ftp://ftp.be.postgresql.org/postgresql/doc/7.2/reference-7.2-A4.pdf and on page 70, CREATE TABLE, Compatibility, I find a statement that suggests the writer was under a misapprehension. You say first: <quote> The CREATE TABLE conforms to SQL92 Intermediate and to a subset of SQL99, with exceptions listed below and in the descriptions above. Temporary Tables In addition to the local temporary table, SQL92 also defines a CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE statement. Global temporary tables are also visible to other sessions. </quote> Although your temporary tables seem to be effectively the same as IBM DB2's DECLARE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE and Oracle's CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE However, none of these conform to SQL:1992 at any level (or to the temporary tables feature of SQL:1999), so you're in good company, but apparently mistaken. I shall be happy to try to elucidate further if you're interested, as I have been scrutinizing this area of the SQL standard recently. FYI, though not a member of the ANSI committee, I do contribute to the ISO working group. Mike Sykes.
J M Sykes wrote: > I have been looking at > > ftp://ftp.be.postgresql.org/postgresql/doc/7.2/reference-7.2-A4.pdf > > and on page 70, CREATE TABLE, Compatibility, I find a statement that > suggests the writer was under a misapprehension. > > You say first: > > <quote> > The CREATE TABLE conforms to SQL92 Intermediate and to a subset of SQL99, > with exceptions listed below and in the descriptions above. ... > However, none of these conform to SQL:1992 at any level (or to > the temporary tables feature of SQL:1999), so you're in good > company, but apparently mistaken. Yeah. This was the subject of my confusion as well. Tom sorts it out: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=3E28A02C.5090900%40mascari.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3DMike%2BMascari%2Btemp%2Bglobal%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26hl%3Den > FYI, though not a member of the ANSI committee, I do contribute to the ISO > working group. > > Mike Sykes. Mike Mascari
I wrote: > J M Sykes wrote: > >>I have been looking at >> >>ftp://ftp.be.postgresql.org/postgresql/doc/7.2/reference-7.2-A4.pdf >> >>and on page 70, CREATE TABLE, Compatibility, I find a statement that >>suggests the writer was under a misapprehension. >> >>You say first: >> >><quote> >>The CREATE TABLE conforms to SQL92 Intermediate and to a subset of SQL99, >>with exceptions listed below and in the descriptions above. > > ... > >>However, none of these conform to SQL:1992 at any level (or to >>the temporary tables feature of SQL:1999), so you're in good >>company, but apparently mistaken. > > > Yeah. This was the subject of my confusion as well. Tom sorts it > out: > > http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=3E28A02C.5090900%40mascari.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3DMike%2BMascari%2Btemp%2Bglobal%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26hl%3Den > > >>FYI, though not a member of the ANSI committee, I do contribute to the ISO >>working group. >> >>Mike Sykes. I should also have written: 1. Obviously the PostgreSQL docs need to be updated as they are still incorrect in the development version 2. Since you contribute to the ISO working group may I make a suggestion? The standard for temporary tables includes the options ON COMMIT { PRESERVE ROWS | DELETE ROWS }. 7.4 of PostgreSQL, thanks to Gavin Sherry, will include DROP as one of the ON COMMIT options. Any chance at that getting standardized? Mike Mascari mascarm@mascari.com