Received: from localhost (unknown [200.46.204.182]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BBB322E3DD1; Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:24:50 -0400 (AST) Received: from postgresql.org ([200.46.204.71]) by localhost (mx1.hub.org [200.46.204.182]) (amavisd-maia, port 10024) with ESMTP id 15499-08; Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:24:47 -0400 (AST) Received: from main2.mycybernet.net (main2.mycybernet.net [209.222.63.140]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8623E2E0FF9; Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:24:47 -0400 (AST) Received: from 227-54-222-209.mycybernet.net ([209.222.54.227] helo=crankycanuck.ca) by main2.mycybernet.net with esmtp (Exim 4.62) (envelope-from ) id 1J5kg2-0001ua-Ru; Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:24:46 -0500 Received: by crankycanuck.ca (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 97625500AC; Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:24:41 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:24:41 -0500 From: Andrew Sullivan To: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org, pgsql performance Subject: Re: [HACKERS] function body actors (was: viewing source code) Message-ID: <20071221162441.GH10918@crankycanuck.ca> Mail-Followup-To: Andrew Sullivan , pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org, pgsql performance References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.13 (2006-08-11) X-Virus-Scanned: Maia Mailguard 1.0.1 X-Archive-Number: 200712/346 X-Sequence-Number: 28162 On Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:09:28AM -0500, Merlin Moncure wrote: > Maybe a key management solution isn't required. If, instead of > strictly wrapping a language with an encryption layer, we provide > hooks (actors) that have the ability to operate on the function body > when it arrives and leaves pg_proc, we may sidestep the key problem > (leaving it to the user) and open up the doors to new functionality at > the same time. I like this idea much better, because the same basic mechanism can be used for more than one thing, and it doesn't build in a system that is fundamentally weak. Of course, you _can_ build a weak system this way, but there's an important difference between building a fundamentally weak system and making weak systems possible. A