On Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 10:58:54PM -0400, Tom Lane wrote:
> Bruce Momjian <br...@momjian.us> writes:
> > I have implemented the ideas above in the attached patch. I have
> > synchronized the syntax to match SELECT, and synchronized the paragraphs
> > describing the item.
>
> I think that the DELETE synopsis should look like
>
> [ USING <replaceable class="parameter">from_item</replaceable> [, ...] ]
>
> so that there's not any question which part of the SELECT syntax we're
> talking about. I also think that the running text in both cases should
> say in exactly these words "from_item means the same thing as it does
> in SELECT"; the wording you propose still seems to be dancing around
> the point, leaving readers perhaps not quite sure about what is meant.
>
> In the DELETE case you could alternatively say "using_item means the same
> thing as from_item does in SELECT", but that doesn't really seem like an
> improvement to me.
OK, updated patch attached.
--
Bruce Momjian <br...@momjian.us> https://momjian.us
EnterpriseDB https://enterprisedb.com
+ As you are, so once was I. As I am, so you will be. +
+ Ancient Roman grave inscription +
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/delete.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/delete.sgml
index df8cea48cf..08fb032b50 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/delete.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/delete.sgml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
<synopsis>
[ WITH [ RECURSIVE ] <replaceable class="parameter">with_query</replaceable> [, ...] ]
DELETE FROM [ ONLY ] <replaceable class="parameter">table_name</replaceable> [ * ] [ [ AS ] <replaceable class="parameter">alias</replaceable> ]
- [ USING <replaceable class="parameter">using_list</replaceable> ]
+ [ USING <replaceable class="parameter">from_item</replaceable> [, ...] ]
[ WHERE <replaceable class="parameter">condition</replaceable> | WHERE CURRENT OF <replaceable class="parameter">cursor_name</replaceable> ]
[ RETURNING * | <replaceable class="parameter">output_expression</replaceable> [ [ AS ] <replaceable class="parameter">output_name</replaceable> ] [, ...] ]
</synopsis>
@@ -117,17 +117,17 @@ DELETE FROM [ ONLY ] <replaceable class="parameter">table_name</replaceable> [ *
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
- <term><replaceable class="parameter">using_list</replaceable></term>
+ <term><replaceable class="parameter">from_item</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
- A list of table expressions, allowing columns from other tables
- to appear in the <literal>WHERE</literal> condition. This is similar
- to the list of tables that can be specified in the <xref
- linkend="sql-from" endterm="sql-from-title"/> of a
- <command>SELECT</command> statement; for example, an alias for
- the table name can be specified. Do not repeat the target table
- in the <replaceable class="parameter">using_list</replaceable>,
- unless you wish to set up a self-join.
+ A table expression allowing columns from other tables to appear
+ in the <literal>WHERE</literal> condition. This uses the same
+ syntax as the <xref linkend="sql-from" endterm="sql-from-title"/>
+ of a <command>SELECT</command> statement; for example, an alias
+ for the table name can be specified. Do not repeat the target
+ table as a <replaceable class="parameter">from_item</replaceable>
+ unless you wish to set up a self-join (in which case it must appear
+ with an alias in the <replaceable>from_item</replaceable>).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/update.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/update.sgml
index f58dcd8877..07958e7447 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/update.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/update.sgml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ UPDATE [ ONLY ] <replaceable class="parameter">table_name</replaceable> [ * ] [
( <replaceable class="parameter">column_name</replaceable> [, ...] ) = [ ROW ] ( { <replaceable class="parameter">expression</replaceable> | DEFAULT } [, ...] ) |
( <replaceable class="parameter">column_name</replaceable> [, ...] ) = ( <replaceable class="parameter">sub-SELECT</replaceable> )
} [, ...]
- [ FROM <replaceable class="parameter">from_list</replaceable> ]
+ [ FROM <replaceable class="parameter">from_item</replaceable> [, ...] ]
[ WHERE <replaceable class="parameter">condition</replaceable> | WHERE CURRENT OF <replaceable class="parameter">cursor_name</replaceable> ]
[ RETURNING * | <replaceable class="parameter">output_expression</replaceable> [ [ AS ] <replaceable class="parameter">output_name</replaceable> ] [, ...] ]
</synopsis>
@@ -164,17 +164,17 @@ UPDATE [ ONLY ] <replaceable class="parameter">table_name</replaceable> [ * ] [
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
- <term><replaceable class="parameter">from_list</replaceable></term>
+ <term><replaceable class="parameter">from_item</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
- A list of table expressions, allowing columns from other tables
- to appear in the <literal>WHERE</literal> condition and the update
- expressions. This is similar to the list of tables that can be
- specified in the <xref linkend="sql-from"
- endterm="sql-from-title"/> of a <command>SELECT</command>
- statement. Note that the target table must not appear in the
- <replaceable>from_list</replaceable>, unless you intend a self-join (in which
- case it must appear with an alias in the <replaceable>from_list</replaceable>).
+ A table expression allowing columns from other tables to appear in
+ the <literal>WHERE</literal> condition and update expressions. This
+ uses the same syntax as the <xref linkend="sql-from"
+ endterm="sql-from-title"/> of a <command>SELECT</command> statement;
+ for example, an alias for the table name can be specified. Do not
+ repeat the target table as a <replaceable>from_item</replaceable>
+ unless you intend a self-join (in which case it must appear with
+ an alias in the <replaceable>from_item</replaceable>).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ UPDATE <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable>
<para>
When a <literal>FROM</literal> clause is present, what essentially happens
is that the target table is joined to the tables mentioned in the
- <replaceable>from_list</replaceable>, and each output row of the join
+ <replaceable>from_item</replaceable> list, and each output row of the join
represents an update operation for the target table. When using
<literal>FROM</literal> you should ensure that the join
produces at most one output row for each row to be modified. In
