Thread

Re: Skipping schema changes in publication

Shlok Kyal <shlok.kyal.oss@gmail.com> — 2025-11-19T10:05:05Z

On Mon, 17 Nov 2025 at 11:35, Peter Smith <smithpb2250@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 9:22 PM Shlok Kyal <shlok.kyal.oss@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > On Fri, 7 Nov 2025 at 09:34, Peter Smith <smithpb2250@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi Shlok.
> > >
> > > This is a general comment about the content of these patches.
> > >
> > > IIUC, the v25* patches currently are currently arranged like this:
> > >
> > > 0001
> > >  - New command ALTER PUBLICATION pubname RESET;
> > > 0002
> > > - Add new command: ALTER PUBLICATION pub_name ADD ALL TABLES;
> > > - Enhance existing CREATE and the new ALTER syntax for EXCEPT tables
> > > 0003
> > > - Enhance existing CREATE and ALTER syntax for EXCEPT col_list
> > >
> > > ~~~
> > >
> > > IMO it is a bug that the ALTER PUBLICATION pub_name ADD/SET ALL TABLES
> > > command does not already exist as a supported command. And, that is
> > > independent of anything else you are implementing here like RESET or
> > > EXCEPT.
> > >
> > > Therefore, I think that one should be 1st in your patchset; The EXCEPT
> > > stuff then just becomes enhancements to existing syntax, which would
> > > give a cleaner separation of logic.
> > >
> > > So, I am suggesting there should be 4 patches instead of 3. e.g.
> > >
> > > SUGGESTION
> > > 0001 - New command: ALTER PUBLICATION pub_name ADD/SET ALL TABLES;
> > > 0002 - New command: ALTER PUBLICATION pubname RESET;
> > > 0003 - Enhance existing CREATE/ALTER syntax for EXCEPT tables
> > > 0004 - Enhance existing CREATE/ALTER syntax for EXCEPT col_list
> > >
> > I read the previous conversation in the thread. And got an
> > understanding that RESET was introduced so that we can have a way to
> > remove 'EXCEPT TABLE' from a publication and after RESET we can use
> > 'ADD ALL TABLES [EXCEPT]' to alter the list of EXCEPT TABLE. So I
> > prefer to keep 'ALTER PUBLICATION .. RESET' as the first patch.
> > I think since 'ADD ALL TABLES' serves our current purpose. We can add
> > the syntax 'SET ALL TABLES' once 'ADD ALL TABLES' is in committed or
> > in committable shape.
> >
>
> Sure, you can defer the ALTER PUBLICATION ... SET ALL TABLES.
>
> However, I still think that 'ALTER PUBLICATION ... ADD ALL TABLES' is
> a self-contained new command that deserves to have its own *separate*
> patch and tests and docs, etc.
>
> IMO, patch 0002 is doing too much at once. It would be tidier (and
> smaller and easier to review, etc) if you split 0002 to implement the
> new 'ALTER PUBLICATION ... ADD ALL TABLES' separately, before
> expanding on that to implement the EXCEPT part: 'ALTER PUBLICATION ...
> ADD ALL TABLES [EXCEPT ...]'.

I agree with you.
I have split the 0002 patch. Now we have following patches

0001 - Add RESET clause to Alter Publication
0002 - Support ADD ALL TABLES in ALTER PUBLICATION
0003 - Skip publishing the tables specified in EXCEPT TABLE
0004 - Skip publishing the columns specified in FOR TABLE EXCEPT

I have attached the updated patch in [1].
[1]: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/CANhcyEXCKPCAdoqBLAhxt64Nwf%2B7T52dd8daE3qvhBNTvro13Q%40mail.gmail.com

Thanks,
Shlok Kyal