From: =?UTF-8?Q?J=c3=bcrgen_Purtz?= <juergen@purtz.de>
Subject: obsolete indexing method "rtree"
To: Pg Docs <pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org>
Message-ID: <9cda4603-76d0-b063-5dc3-a9a99506340b@purtz.de>
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2020 13:30:39 +0200
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We removed the indexing method "rtree" in version 8.3 and replaced it 
with "gist". Until today there are some "rtree" heritages:

  * "CREATE INDEX ... USING rtree ..." is valid syntax and leads to the
    message "NOTICE:  substituting access method gist for obsolete
    method rtree"
  * The documentation refers to the method in ref/comments.sgml and
    ref/create_index.sgml.
  * The documentation uses the term "R-Tree" in gist.sgml, seg.sgml, and
    xindex.sgml. That's ok because in this cases it refers to the
    abstract concept of R-trees and not to the eliminated implementation.

Isn't it time to disallow this syntax and remove all references and 
messages? The situation concerning index types, access methods, operator 
classes, and index related extensions is complicate enough and hard to 
explain to newcomers. Every simplification should be welcomed.

--

Jürgen Purtz


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    <p>We removed the indexing method "rtree" in version 8.3 and
      replaced it with "gist". Until today there are some "rtree"
      heritages:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>"CREATE INDEX ... USING rtree ..." is valid syntax and leads
        to the message "NOTICE:  substituting access method gist for
        obsolete method rtree"</li>
      <li>The documentation refers to the method in ref/comments.sgml
        and ref/create_index.sgml.</li>
      <li>The documentation uses the term "R-Tree" in gist.sgml,
        seg.sgml, and xindex.sgml. That's ok because in this cases it
        refers to the abstract concept of R-trees and not to the
        eliminated implementation.</li>
    </ul>
    <p>Isn't it time to disallow this syntax and remove all references
      and messages? The situation concerning index types, access
      methods, operator classes, and index related extensions is
      complicate enough and hard to explain to newcomers. Every
      simplification should be welcomed.<br>
    </p>
    <p>--</p>
    <p>Jürgen Purtz<br>
    </p>
    <p><br>
    </p>
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