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index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query
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* index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query
@ 2006-04-13 10:25 Cris Carampa <cris119@operamail.com>
  2006-04-18 19:56 ` Re: index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query Jim C. Nasby <jnasby@pervasive.com>
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread

From: Cris Carampa @ 2006-04-13 10:25 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: pgsql-performance

Hello, postgresql 7.4.8 on SuSE Linux here.

I have a table called DMO with a column called ORA_RIF defined as 
"timestamp without time zone" ;

I created an index on this table based on this column only.

If I run a query against a text literal the index is used:

 > explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>'2006-01-01';
                                   QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Index Scan using dmo_ndx02 on dmo  (cost=0.00..1183.23 rows=736 width=156)
    Index Cond: (ora_rif > '2006-01-01 00:00:00'::timestamp without time 
zone)

If I try to use a function that returns the current time instead, a 
sequential scan is always performed:

 > explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>localtimestamp;
                                   QUERY PLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..1008253.22 rows=2703928 width=156)
    Filter: (ora_rif > ('now'::text)::timestamp(6) without time zone)

 > explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>localtimestamp::timestamp 
without time zone;
                                   QUERY PLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..1008253.22 rows=2703928 width=156)
    Filter: (ora_rif > ('now'::text)::timestamp(6) without time zone)

... etc. ...

(tried with all datetime functions with and without cast)

I even tried to write a function that explicitly returns a "timestamp 
without time zone" value:

create or replace function f () returns timestamp without time zone
as '
declare
   x timestamp without time zone ;
begin
   x := ''2006-01-01 00:00:00'';
   return x ;
end ;
' language plpgsql ;

But the result is the same:

 > explain select * from dmo ora_rif>f();
                                  QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..987973.76 rows=2703928 width=156)
    Filter: (ora_rif > f())

Any suggestion?

Kind regards,

-- 
Cris Carampa (spamto:cris119@operamail.com)

potevo chiedere come si chiama il vostro cane
il mio รจ un po' di tempo che si chiama Libero





^ permalink  raw  reply  [nested|flat] 4+ messages in thread

* Re: index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query
  2006-04-13 10:25 index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query Cris Carampa <cris119@operamail.com>
@ 2006-04-18 19:56 ` Jim C. Nasby <jnasby@pervasive.com>
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread

From: Jim C. Nasby @ 2006-04-18 19:56 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Cris Carampa <cris119@operamail.com>; +Cc: pgsql-performance

Interesting.... what's EXPLAIN ANALYZE show if you SET
enable_seqscan=off; ?

You should also consider upgrading to 8.1...

On Thu, Apr 13, 2006 at 12:25:02PM +0200, Cris Carampa wrote:
> Hello, postgresql 7.4.8 on SuSE Linux here.
> 
> I have a table called DMO with a column called ORA_RIF defined as 
> "timestamp without time zone" ;
> 
> I created an index on this table based on this column only.
> 
> If I run a query against a text literal the index is used:
> 
> > explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>'2006-01-01';
>                                   QUERY PLAN
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Index Scan using dmo_ndx02 on dmo  (cost=0.00..1183.23 rows=736 width=156)
>    Index Cond: (ora_rif > '2006-01-01 00:00:00'::timestamp without time 
> zone)
> 
> If I try to use a function that returns the current time instead, a 
> sequential scan is always performed:
> 
> > explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>localtimestamp;
>                                   QUERY PLAN
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..1008253.22 rows=2703928 width=156)
>    Filter: (ora_rif > ('now'::text)::timestamp(6) without time zone)
> 
> > explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>localtimestamp::timestamp 
> without time zone;
>                                   QUERY PLAN
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..1008253.22 rows=2703928 width=156)
>    Filter: (ora_rif > ('now'::text)::timestamp(6) without time zone)
> 
> ... etc. ...
> 
> (tried with all datetime functions with and without cast)
> 
> I even tried to write a function that explicitly returns a "timestamp 
> without time zone" value:
> 
> create or replace function f () returns timestamp without time zone
> as '
> declare
>   x timestamp without time zone ;
> begin
>   x := ''2006-01-01 00:00:00'';
>   return x ;
> end ;
> ' language plpgsql ;
> 
> But the result is the same:
> 
> > explain select * from dmo ora_rif>f();
>                                  QUERY PLAN
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..987973.76 rows=2703928 width=156)
>    Filter: (ora_rif > f())
> 
> Any suggestion?
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> -- 
> Cris Carampa (spamto:cris119@operamail.com)
> 
> potevo chiedere come si chiama il vostro cane
> il mio ? un po' di tempo che si chiama Libero
> 
> 
> 
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 2: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster
> 

-- 
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant      jnasby@pervasive.com
Pervasive Software      http://pervasive.com    work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf       cell: 512-569-9461



^ permalink  raw  reply  [nested|flat] 4+ messages in thread

* index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query
@ 2006-04-13 14:57 Cristian Veronesi <c.veronesi@crpa.it>
  2006-04-13 15:50 ` Re: index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread

From: Cristian Veronesi @ 2006-04-13 14:57 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: pgsql-performance

Hello, postgresql 7.4.8 on SuSE Linux here.

I have a table called DMO with a column called ORA_RIF defined as
"timestamp without time zone" ;

I created an index on this table based on this column only.

If I run a query against a text literal the index is used:

> explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>'2006-01-01';
                                   QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Index Scan using dmo_ndx02 on dmo  (cost=0.00..1183.23 rows=736 width=156)
    Index Cond: (ora_rif > '2006-01-01 00:00:00'::timestamp without time
zone)

If I try to use a function that returns the current time instead, a
sequential scan is always performed:

> explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>localtimestamp;
                                   QUERY PLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..1008253.22 rows=2703928 width=156)
    Filter: (ora_rif > ('now'::text)::timestamp(6) without time zone)

> explain select * from dmo where ora_rif>localtimestamp::timestamp 
without time zone;
                                   QUERY PLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..1008253.22 rows=2703928 width=156)
    Filter: (ora_rif > ('now'::text)::timestamp(6) without time zone)

... etc. ...

(tried with all datetime functions with and without cast)

I even tried to write a function that explicitly returns a "timestamp
without time zone" value:

create or replace function f () returns timestamp without time zone
as '
declare
   x timestamp without time zone ;
begin
   x := ''2006-01-01 00:00:00'';
   return x ;
end ;
' language plpgsql ;

But the result is the same:

> explain select * from dmo ora_rif>f();
                                  QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seq Scan on dmo  (cost=0.00..987973.76 rows=2703928 width=156)
    Filter: (ora_rif > f())

Any suggestion?

Kind regards,

-- 
Cristian Veronesi - C.R.P.A. S.p.A. - Reggio Emilia, Italy

The first thing you need to learn about databases is that
they are not just a fancy file system for storing data.






^ permalink  raw  reply  [nested|flat] 4+ messages in thread

* Re: index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query
  2006-04-13 14:57 index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query Cristian Veronesi <c.veronesi@crpa.it>
@ 2006-04-13 15:50 ` Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread

From: Tom Lane @ 2006-04-13 15:50 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Cristian Veronesi <c.veronesi@crpa.it>; +Cc: pgsql-performance

Cristian Veronesi <c.veronesi@crpa.it> writes:
> If I try to use a function that returns the current time instead, a
> sequential scan is always performed:
> ...
> Any suggestion?

1. Use something newer than 7.4 ;-)

2. Set up a dummy range constraint, ie

	select ... where ora_rif > localtimestamp and ora_rif < 'infinity';

The problem you have is that the planner doesn't know the value of the
function and falls back to a default assumption about the selectivity of
the '>' condition --- and that default discourages indexscans.  (Note
the very large estimate of number of rows returned.)  In the
range-constraint situation, the planner still doesn't know the value of
the function, but its default assumption for a range constraint is
tighter and it (probably) will choose an indexscan.

Since PG 8.0, the planner understands that it's reasonable to
pre-evaluate certain functions like localtimestamp to obtain
better-than-guess values about selectivity, so updating would
be a better fix.

			regards, tom lane



^ permalink  raw  reply  [nested|flat] 4+ messages in thread


end of thread, other threads:[~2006-04-18 19:56 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 4+ messages (download: mbox mbox.gz follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2006-04-13 10:25 index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query Cris Carampa <cris119@operamail.com>
2006-04-18 19:56 ` Jim C. Nasby <jnasby@pervasive.com>
2006-04-13 14:57 index is not used if I include a function that returns current time in my query Cristian Veronesi <c.veronesi@crpa.it>
2006-04-13 15:50 ` Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

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