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To: Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us>
cc: pgsql-interfaces@postgreSQL.org, hackers@postgreSQL.org
Subject: Re: [HACKERS] thread-safe libpq and DBD::Pg 
In-reply-to: Your message of Sun, 9 Aug 1998 13:34:39 -0400 (EDT)
	<199808091734.NAA12951@candle.pha.pa.us>
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 19:01:49 -0400
Message-ID: <4563.902703709@sss.pgh.pa.us>
From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us> writes:
> php3 uses PQoidStatus, so I can imagine great problems if we change the
> libpq interface.  I am afraid we are stuck with char*.

Yeah, I can't really see breaking applications just for a marginal
improvement in cleanliness.

There is a possible compromise however: we could leave PQcmdTuples and
PQoidStatus defined as-is (but do something to get rid of PQoidStatus'
use of a static return area), and add two more functions that have more
reasonable return conventions.  The documentation could describe the
older functions as deprecated.

Perhaps the int-returning forms could be named "PQCmdTuples" and
"PQOidStatus" (note difference in capitalization) ... unless someone
has a better idea.

Does anyone think this is worth the trouble, or shall we leave bad
enough alone?

I do intend to get rid of the static return area for PQoidStatus in any
case.  I'd also like to fix the problem with PQconninfoOptions not being
treated as a constant (specifically, the "val" fields are being used as
working storage).  Is anyone aware of any applications that would be
broken by removing "val" from the PQconninfoOption struct?

			regards, tom lane