Client-side fixes for delayed NOTIFY receipt.

PQnotifies() is defined to just process already-read data, not try to read
any more from the socket.  (This is a debatable decision, perhaps, but I'm
hesitant to change longstanding library behavior.)  The documentation has
long recommended calling PQconsumeInput() before PQnotifies() to ensure
that any already-arrived message would get absorbed and processed.
However, psql did not get that memo, which explains why it's not very
reliable about reporting notifications promptly.

Also, most (not quite all) callers called PQconsumeInput() just once before
a PQnotifies() loop.  Taking this recommendation seriously implies that we
should do PQconsumeInput() before each call.  This is more important now
that we have "payload" strings in notification messages than it was before;
that increases the probability of having more than one packet's worth
of notify messages.  Hence, adjust code as well as documentation examples
to do it like that.

Back-patch to 9.5 to match related server fixes.  In principle we could
probably go back further with these changes, but given lack of field
complaints I doubt it's worthwhile.

Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/CAOYf6ec-TmRYjKBXLLaGaB-jrd=mjG1Hzn1a1wufUAR39PQYhw@mail.gmail.com

doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml

@@ -5284,7 +5284,7 @@ typedef struct pgNotify
   <para>
    <function>PQnotifies</function> does not actually read data from the
    server; it just returns messages previously absorbed by another
-   <application>libpq</application> function.  In prior releases of
+   <application>libpq</application> function.  In ancient releases of
    <application>libpq</application>, the only way to ensure timely receipt
    of <command>NOTIFY</command> messages was to constantly submit commands, even
    empty ones, and then check <function>PQnotifies</function> after each
@@ -8711,6 +8711,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                     notify->relname, notify->be_pid);
             PQfreemem(notify);
             nnotifies++;
+            PQconsumeInput(conn);
         }
     }
 

src/bin/psql/common.c

@@ -836,7 +836,8 @@ PrintNotifications(void)
 {
 	PGnotify   *notify;
 
-	while ((notify = PQnotifies(pset.db)))
+	PQconsumeInput(pset.db);
+	while ((notify = PQnotifies(pset.db)) != NULL)
 	{
 		/* for backward compatibility, only show payload if nonempty */
 		if (notify->extra[0])
@@ -847,6 +848,7 @@ PrintNotifications(void)
 					notify->relname, notify->be_pid);
 		fflush(pset.queryFout);
 		PQfreemem(notify);
+		PQconsumeInput(pset.db);
 	}
 }
 

src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/execute.c

@@ -1722,12 +1722,13 @@ ecpg_process_output(struct statement *stmt, bool clear_result)
 	}
 
 	/* check for asynchronous returns */
-	notify = PQnotifies(stmt->connection->connection);
-	if (notify)
+	PQconsumeInput(stmt->connection->connection);
+	while ((notify = PQnotifies(stmt->connection->connection)) != NULL)
 	{
 		ecpg_log("ecpg_process_output on line %d: asynchronous notification of \"%s\" from backend PID %d received\n",
 				 stmt->lineno, notify->relname, notify->be_pid);
 		PQfreemem(notify);
+		PQconsumeInput(stmt->connection->connection);
 	}
 
 	return status;

src/interfaces/libpq/fe-exec.c

@@ -2265,6 +2265,9 @@ sendFailed:
  * no unhandled async notification from the backend
  *
  * the CALLER is responsible for FREE'ing the structure returned
+ *
+ * Note that this function does not read any new data from the socket;
+ * so usually, caller should call PQconsumeInput() first.
  */
 PGnotify *
 PQnotifies(PGconn *conn)

src/test/examples/testlibpq2.c

@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 					notify->relname, notify->be_pid);
 			PQfreemem(notify);
 			nnotifies++;
+			PQconsumeInput(conn);
 		}
 	}