Received: from localhost (postgresql.org [64.49.215.8]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AC0F3476567 for ; Tue, 1 Oct 2002 13:43:03 -0400 (EDT) Received: from mail.astrofoto.org (dsl092-102-177.nyc2.dsl.speakeasy.net [66.92.102.177]) by postgresql.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 11023476536 for ; Tue, 1 Oct 2002 13:43:03 -0400 (EDT) Received: from kuiper.rlent.pnet (IDENT:root@kuiper.rlent.pnet [192.168.3.50]) by mail.astrofoto.org (8.12.3/8.12.3) with ESMTP id g91Hh2UZ008497 for ; Tue, 1 Oct 2002 13:43:02 -0400 Received: (from roland@localhost) by kuiper.rlent.pnet (8.11.6/8.11.6) id g91Hh2u03127; Tue, 1 Oct 2002 13:43:02 -0400 X-Authentication-Warning: kuiper.rlent.pnet: roland set sender to roland@astrofoto.org using -f To: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org Subject: Re: [GENERAL] arrays References: From: Roland Roberts Date: 01 Oct 2002 13:43:02 -0400 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Lines: 21 User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.2.90 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Virus-Scanned: by AMaViS new-20020517 X-Archive-Number: 200210/5 X-Sequence-Number: 9723 >>>>> "Josh" == Josh Berkus writes: Josh> Now, I know at least one person who is using arrays to store Josh> scientific data. However, that data arrives in his lab in Josh> the form of matrices, and is not used for joins or query Josh> criteria beyond a simple "where" clause. Indeed, my first attempt to use arrays was to maintain some basic statistics about a set of data. The array elements where to be distribution moments and would only be used in "where" clauses. The problem was that I wanted to be about to update the statistics using triggers whenever the main data was updated. The inability to access a specific array element in PL/pgSQL code made this so painful I ended up just extending a table with more columns. roland -- PGP Key ID: 66 BC 3B CD Roland B. Roberts, PhD RL Enterprises roland@rlenter.com 76-15 113th Street, Apt 3B roland@astrofoto.org Forest Hills, NY 11375