Re: [HACKERS] vlen in libpq using user defined data type

Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us>

From: Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us>
To: daveh@insightdist.com (David Hartwig)
Cc: pgsql-hackers@postgreSQL.org
Date: 1998-09-09T21:38:36Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
> I have come across a situation with 6.4 which has rendered at least some
> of my home made data types unusable.   Specifically, the data type,
> accntnum, is a General Ledger account number type.   (i.e.  9999-99
> format)    It is stored internally as an 4 byte integer; it is used
> externally as a string and passed by reference internally.  An IP data
> type may be handled in a similar way.     I had no problems at 6.3.2.
> 
> Anyway, as pqlib reads the string sent to it by the backend (a la psql),
> it must first read the length of each string.  The problem is that the
> length of the string for accntnum in some outrageously large number
> which ultimately hangs psql.  BTW,  atttypemod = -1 and typlen = 4 in
> the FE.
> 
> Did something changed in the way a string is constructed on the BE
> before sending to the FE to cause this?
> 
> Have the basic semantics changed (intentionally or unintentionally) for
> the establishment of data types?

Just reported today by another user.  Tom Lane is working on this.

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