Horton

Re: Doc update proposal for the note on log_statement in the runtime config for logging page

Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us>

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From: Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us>
To: Daniel Bauman <danielbaniel@gmail.com>
Cc: pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org
Date: 2025-07-28T18:37:59Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers

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Same data as JSON: GET /api/v1/messages/:b64id/commits the thread's linked commits as JSON, with link sources. API reference →

  1. Avoid regression in the size of XML input that we will accept.

On Fri, Jul 25, 2025 at 03:24:48PM -0700, Daniel Bauman wrote:
> Hey pgsql hackers
> This is my first email to this list. I'm reaching out about a possible doc
> update for the log_statement parameter.
> Here's the current doc - https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/
> runtime-config-logging.html
> The doc already has a Note bubble for the log_statement parameter with some
> important callouts.
> 
> I am proposing adding something there to call out that there is no guarantee
> provided that all committed statements in the DB will be logged. The logging to
> the log file is not part of PGs ACID compliant DB engine but instead a separate
> best-effort system. This might be obvious to some people but I don't think it
> is for everyone.
> 
> In many cases people will use these logs for security, legal or compliance
> reasons and I think it's relevant to users to make the consistency guarantees
> explicit and clear.
> 
> Please let me know what you think and also if you think there's a different
> place where this notification would be better placed. Maybe it already exists
> somewhere else.
> 
> This would be very similar to the documentation that MySQL have over here - 
> https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.4/en/audit-log-logging-configuration.html
> "Regardless of strategy, logging occurs on a best-effort basis, with no
> guarantee of consistency."
> 
> I believe the same applies to the PGAudit extension but I'm starting out here.

Why do you think log_statement is best effort?

-- 
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        https://momjian.us
  EDB                                      https://enterprisedb.com

  Do not let urgent matters crowd out time for investment in the future.