ALTER TABLE failed if a column referenced in a GENERATED expression
had been added or changed in type earlier in the ALTER command.
That's because the GENERATED expression needs to be evaluated
against the table's updated tuples, but it was being evaluated
against the original tuples. (Fortunately the executor has adequate
cross-checks to notice the mismatch, so we just got an obscure error
message and not anything more dangerous.)
Per report from Andreas Joseph Krogh. Back-patch to v12 where
GENERATED was added.
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/VisenaEmail.200.231b0a41523275d0.16ea7f800c7@tc7-visena
This code was still using the old style of forming a heap tuple rather
than using tuple slots. This would be less efficient if a non-heap
access method was used. And using tuple slots is actually quite a bit
faster when using heap as well.
Also add some test cases for generated columns with null values and
with varlena values. This lack of coverage was discovered while
working on this patch.
Discussion: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/flat/20190331025744.ugbsyks7czfcoksd%40alap3.anarazel.de
The syntax
GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS (expr)
is not allowed but we have to accept it in the grammar to avoid
shift/reduce conflicts because of the similar syntax for identity
columns. The existing code just ignored this, incorrectly. Add an
explicit error check and a bespoke error message.
Reported-by: Justin Pryzby <pryzby@telsasoft.com>
This is an SQL-standard feature that allows creating columns that are
computed from expressions rather than assigned, similar to a view or
materialized view but on a column basis.
This implements one kind of generated column: stored (computed on
write). Another kind, virtual (computed on read), is planned for the
future, and some room is left for it.
Reviewed-by: Michael Paquier <michael@paquier.xyz>
Reviewed-by: Pavel Stehule <pavel.stehule@gmail.com>
Discussion: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/flat/b151f851-4019-bdb1-699e-ebab07d2f40a@2ndquadrant.com
Peter Eisentraut
Tom Lane