To: "Scott Marlowe" <scott.marlowe@gmail.com>
cc: pgsql-docs@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: order of entries in admin docs 
In-reply-to: <dcc563d10803111010o4ff23972lfc0c62e69c4220db@mail.gmail.com> 
References: <dcc563d10803111010o4ff23972lfc0c62e69c4220db@mail.gmail.com>
Comments: In-reply-to "Scott Marlowe" <scott.marlowe@gmail.com>
	message dated "Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:10:38 -0700"
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:36:59 -0400
Message-ID: <27873.1205257019@sss.pgh.pa.us>
From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

"Scott Marlowe" <scott.marlowe@gmail.com> writes:
> I was just looking for something in the admin docs, and it seems like
> the ordering of sections is sub-optimal.

> 17. Operating System Environment
> 18. Server Configuration
> 19. Database Roles and Privileges
> 20. Managing Databases
> 21. Client Authentication

> Seems that Client Authentication should come right after Server
> Configuration.  After all, how is someone going to handle roles and
> database creation before they've authenticated?

Well, until you know what a role is, the client auth discussion might
not make too much sense to you...

I'm not wedded to the current ordering but I'm not sure it's silly
either.

Something else that ought to be considered here is that now that we have
CONNECT privilege for databases, manipulating privileges is a lot saner
way to control who-can-connect-where than setting up fancy combinations
of user and database entries in pg_hba.conf.  AFAIR there is no mention
of this alternative in Chapter 21, but it seems like there ought to be.
With your proposed reorganization, that would become a forward
reference; is that OK?

			regards, tom lane