Andreas Brandl <m...@3.141592654.de> writes:
> I'm looking for a hint how array access performs in PostgreSQL in respect to 
> performance. Normally I would expect access of a 1-dimensional Array at slot 
> i (array[i]) to perform in constant time (random access).

> Is this also true for postgres' arrays?

Only if the element type is fixed-length (no strings for instance) and
the array does not contain, and never has contained, any nulls.
Otherwise a scan through all the previous elements is required to find
a particular element.

By and large, if you're thinking of using arrays large enough to make
this an interesting question, I would say stop right there and redesign
your database schema.  You're not thinking relationally, and it's gonna
cost ya.

                        regards, tom lane

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