Re: [GENERAL] Proposed Changes to PostgreSQL

Bruce Momjian wrote:

> > I already have a patch for this one. The change is a few pretty simple
> > changes
> > to gram.y.
> 
> OK, you will have to canvas the general list to make sure this does not
> break things for people, though our inheritance system needs an overhaul
> badly.

This is already CCed to the general list.

> I fear it is totally against the way our API works.  How does someone
> see how many columns in the returned row?

A new API PQnfieldsv(PQresult, tupnum) or some such.

> Yikes.  Strange. 

Strange for C code perhaps. Very useful for constructing real objects in 
OO application code framework.

> Can we just return nulls for the empty fields?

Well, I think we should probably distinguish between a field that is
null,
and a field that simply doesn't exist.

> How many new API calls are required?

Perhaps just the one. (above).