Subject: CONSTRAINT syntax in ALTER TABLE

From: "Jim C. Nasby" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 15:46:13 -0600

Maybe it's just me, but I find it annoying that the ALTER TABLE docs
say to look at the CREATE TABLE docs for info on CONSTRAINT syntax. ISTM
it would be much better to:

Include the docs in both places, or
Break constraint syntax/info into it's own page

A last-resort would be to still refer to CREATE TABLE, but at least make
it link to the actual constraint section, instead of just linking to the
top of the page as it does now.

Would -docs accept a patch for #1 or #2?
-- 
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant      [email-masked]
Pervasive Software      http://pervasive.com    work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf       cell: 512-569-9461

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From: Bruce Momjian <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 21:04:50 -0500 (EST)

> top of the page as it does now.

I like that last idea.  I don't think duplicate documentation or a
separate section are a win.

-- 
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  [email-masked]               |  (610) 359-1001
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
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From: "Jim C. Nasby" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 20:12:29 -0600

> separate section are a win.

By #2 I assume you mean my 'last resort'. One thing I dislike about that
is (I assume) it would do nothing to help \h ALTER TABLE in psql. Maybe
a good compromise would be to include the table_constraint section of
the CREATE TABLE syntax in the ALTER TABLE syntax.
-- 
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant      [email-masked]
Pervasive Software      http://pervasive.com    work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf       cell: 512-569-9461

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From: Bruce Momjian <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 23:26:37 -0500 (EST)

> By #2 I assume you mean my 'last resort'. One thing I dislike about that

Yes, sorry.

> the CREATE TABLE syntax in the ALTER TABLE syntax.

If they created the table, they have already seen the constraint syntax.
I see no reason to repeat it.