Re: Possible TODO item: copy to/from pipe

[Andrew Dunstan <andrew(at)dunslane(dot)net>]

Andreas Pflug wrote:
> Chris Browne wrote:
> > pgadmin(at)pse-consulting(dot)de (Andreas Pflug) writes:
> >
> > > Dave Page wrote:
> > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: pgsql-hackers-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org
> > > > > [mailto:pgsql-hackers-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org] On Behalf Of Andreas
> > > > > Pflug
> > > > > Sent: 31 May 2006 16:41
> > > > > Cc: Tom Lane; pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
> > > > > Subject: Re: [HACKERS] Possible TODO item: copy to/from pipe
> > > > >
> > > > > Andreas Pflug wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Won't help too much, until gzip's output is piped back too, so a
> > > > > > replacement for COPY .. TO STDOUT COMPRESSED  would be
> > > > > > COPY ... TO '| /bin/gzip |' STDOUT, to enable clients to
> > > > >
> > > > > receive the
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > reduced stuff.
> > > > >
> > > > > Forgot to mention:
> > > > > COPY COMPRESSED was also meant to introduce a portable format
> > > > > that's efficient for both text and binary data. Relying on some
> > > > > external XYZzip version seems not too portable to me.
> > > >
> > > > It does have that advantage. Gzip and others are not particularly
> > > > Windows friendly for example.
> > >
> > > ... as most windows programs are pipe agnostic.
> >
> >
> > Shall we make PostgreSQL less powerful because of that?
>
> I never said that. We shall seek solutions that run painless on most 
> popular platforms are useful to users.
> I wonder if we'd be able to ship gzip with the windows installer, to 
> insure proper integration.


I wish somebody would explain to me the compelling use case for this. We 
do not have to build every possible capability into Postgres. As Tony 
Hoare said, "Inside every large problem is a small problem struggling to 
get out."

This just seems like creeping featurism to me.

cheers

andrew