Re: What to name the current heap after pluggable storage / what to rename?

On Tue, Dec 18, 2018 at 11:17 PM Andres Freund <andres@anarazel.de> wrote:
> The current pluggable table storage patchset [1] introduces the ability
> to specify the access method of a table (CREATE TABLE ... USING
> "ident"). The patchset currently names the current storage method
> (i.e. heapam.c et al) "heap" (whereas e.g. zheap's in named, drumroll,
> zheap).

I vote for calling the current heap "heap" - i.e. what the patchset is
currently doing.  As others have already noted, that's a perfectly
good word for storing stuff in no particular order, and it's also a
term with a very long history. If we call it "oheap" or "pile" or
something based on a clever pun, then we'll just be making users learn
a new word for, as far as I can see, no real benefit.

> Another would be to be aggressive in renaming, and deconflict by
> renaming functions like heap_create[_with_catalog] etc to sound more
> accurate. I think that has some appeal, because a lot of those names
> aren't describing their tasks particularly well.

I like that option.

-- 
Robert Haas
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