Thread: pg_dump data in BKI format

I'm playing with catalog upgrade via BKI format. I enhanced the pg_dump 
of BKI output (not patch ready yet). I'm using it for some test now, but 
I think It should be useful for some one other, for example some 
application with embedded postgres should use own prepared BKI for 
database init (with small enhancement in bootstrap mode) and this option 
should help to prepare a BKI script from application template database.

Let me know your meaning about integration this enhancement into the 
pg_dump.
    Thanks Zdenek

Zdenek Kotala <Zdenek.Kotala@Sun.COM> writes:
> I'm playing with catalog upgrade via BKI format. I enhanced the pg_dump 
> of BKI output (not patch ready yet). I'm using it for some test now, but 
> I think It should be useful for some one other, for example some 
> application with embedded postgres should use own prepared BKI for 
> database init (with small enhancement in bootstrap mode) and this option 
> should help to prepare a BKI script from application template database.

This seems utterly useless :-(

The BKI file format was never designed to be general purpose --- as an
example, I do not believe it can cope with quotes or newlines embedded
in data values.  So as a target for pg_dump it's quite unsatisfactory.

Nor do I see a particularly good reason why add-ons would need to get
into the catalogs at the bootstrap stage, rather than using more
conventional, much easier-to-use SQL commands to add objects later
during initdb.  So "let's improve BKI" sounds like an exercise in
time-wasting, also.
        regards, tom lane

Zdenek Kotala wrote:
> I'm playing with catalog upgrade via BKI format. I enhanced the 
> pg_dump of BKI output (not patch ready yet). I'm using it for some 
> test now, but I think It should be useful for some one other, for 
> example some application with embedded postgres should use own 
> prepared BKI for database init (with small enhancement in bootstrap 
> mode) and this option should help to prepare a BKI script from 
> application template database.
>
> Let me know your meaning about integration this enhancement into the 
> pg_dump.
>
>  

I am not clear how this is an enhancement. The BKI file is a purely 
internal bootstrap mechanism, and I do not see any good reason to make 
pg_dump have any knowledge of it at all. pg_dump is already horribly 
complex (of necessity, to some extent, because it has to embody 
knowledge of previous releases). Anything that increases the complexity 
is to be avoided.

In any case, surely the whole point about upgrading would be to do it 
without bootstrapping a new location.

cheers

andrew

Tom Lane wrote:
> Zdenek Kotala <Zdenek.Kotala@Sun.COM> writes:
>> I'm playing with catalog upgrade via BKI format. I enhanced the pg_dump 
>> of BKI output (not patch ready yet). I'm using it for some test now, but 
>> I think It should be useful for some one other, for example some 
>> application with embedded postgres should use own prepared BKI for 
>> database init (with small enhancement in bootstrap mode) and this option 
>> should help to prepare a BKI script from application template database.
> 
> This seems utterly useless :-(
> 
> The BKI file format was never designed to be general purpose --- as an
> example, I do not believe it can cope with quotes or newlines embedded
> in data values.  So as a target for pg_dump it's quite unsatisfactory.

"\n" works fine for new line, but you have right that there should be 
more dangerous characters.

> Nor do I see a particularly good reason why add-ons would need to get
> into the catalogs at the bootstrap stage, rather than using more
> conventional, much easier-to-use SQL commands to add objects later
> during initdb.  

Yes, You have right, It is much better.

> So "let's improve BKI" sounds like an exercise in
> time-wasting, also.

Yes, I agree with you. Thanks for the answer.
    Zdenek