Index-column size attribute is documented but does not work

• Key: TORQUE-91
• Type: Bug
• Status: Open
• Priority: Minor
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Thomas Vandahl
• Component/s: Generator
• Affects Version/s: 3.3-RC2

Description

The database schema allows a "size" attribute for the "index-column" element which did not make it into neither the Index code nor the templates. Some databases support this parameter, however (namely MySQL). The attribute should be utilized where supported by the database.

Comments

[CG Monroe]

I'm not sure I agree with the proposed resolution. IMHO, the schema should be SQL standards / defacto standards based and not have any DB specific attributes. (FWIW, it appears that CREATE INDEX is a defacto standard... I'd describe a defacto standard as one shown to be supported by most of of DB servers Torque supports. )

With this in mind, the solution to this would seem to be:

1) Deprecate the size attribute (and remove it in 4.0?).

2) If this seems like a good feature to add into Torque, add support for it via that option element which is intended to support DB Server specific items.

But for 2) we'd have to think about how to support / test these DB Specific items prior to release, how to document them, and how to deal with possible DB Vendor changes between versions. So should this be Torque "core" or an "add-on"?

[Thomas Vandahl]

I can live with 1), anytime. The point is, documented attributes/elements should work or the attribute including docs should be removed, there is no in between. I found that most of the databases I checked do not support limiting the size of an index column directly, everything else is vendor specific. So basically, +1 for removing said attribute from the schema.

If the size attribute is a quasi-standard, then we should keep it. A short glance at the postgresql and derby manuals suggest that it's not a quasi-standard, so 1) seems the correct way to go for me.

[Thomas Fischer]

I added a note to the database dtd, the schema reference and the changes that the element is not used and will be removed in the future.
Leaving this issue open so we remember removing the attribute after 3.3 is out.