Re: [PATCHES] Select parser at runtime

Ian Lance Taylor writes:

> Because my goal is a parser which can accept Oracle code directly, and
> Oracle does not use the same SQL syntax as Postgres.  They are, of
> course, very similar, but it is not the case that all the differences
> are items missing from the Postgres parser.  Some of them are items
> which Postgres does in a different, typically more standards-
> conforming, way.

I'm not sure whether I like the notion of having to maintain multiple
parsers in the future.  We have always been quite fair in accepting
extensions and aliases for compatibility, so I don't see a problem there.
Then again, we're implemented an SQL server, not an Oracle server.  If you
want to convert your application there's this ora2pg thing.

> For example: the datatypes have different names; the set of reserved
> words is different;

Unless you have implemented a different parsing algorithm or want to rip
out features you're going to have a hard time changing the set of reserved
words.

> Oracle uses a weird syntax for outer joins.

We had already rejected this idea.  The earlier this disappears from the
face of the earth the better.

-- 
Peter Eisentraut   peter_e@gmx.net   http://funkturm.homeip.net/~peter