Thread

1. Re: [HACKERS] Table aliases in delete statements?

   Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 1999-12-08T06:27:53Z

   Keith Parks <emkxp01@mtcc.demon.co.uk> writes:
   > Is there any reason for not allowing table aliases in
   > delete statements?
   
   Not much, I suppose, but it's not in SQL92:
   
            <delete statement: searched> ::=
                 DELETE FROM <table name>
                   [ WHERE <search condition> ]
   
   The expansion of <table name> doesn't mention anything about aliases.
   
   As Bruce points out in another followup, there's no real need for
   an alias for the target table; if you have sub-selects that need
   independent references to the target, you can always alias *them*.
   The same goes for INSERT and UPDATE, which also take unadorned
   <table name> as the target table specification.
   
   			regards, tom lane
   
   

2. Re: [HACKERS] Table aliases in delete statements?

   Brian E Gallew <geek+@cmu.edu> — 1999-12-08T14:00:23Z

   Then <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> spoke up and said:
   > Keith Parks <emkxp01@mtcc.demon.co.uk> writes:
   > > Is there any reason for not allowing table aliases in
   > > delete statements?
   > 
   > As Bruce points out in another followup, there's no real need for
   > an alias for the target table; if you have sub-selects that need
   > independent references to the target, you can always alias *them*.
   > The same goes for INSERT and UPDATE, which also take unadorned
   > <table name> as the target table specification.
   
   Unless your query is going to be long enough to run into query length
   limits, aliases are not your friends.  Standard SQL they may be, but
   aliases always end up obscuring queries to those who come along after
   you. 
   
   -- 
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