Catalog NOT NULL constraints

We now create pg_constaint rows for NOT NULL constraints with
contype='n'.

We propagate these constraints during operations such as adding
inheritance relationships, creating and attaching partitions, creating
tables LIKE other tables.  We mostly follow the well-known rules of
conislocal and coninhcount that we have for CHECK constraints, with some
adaptations; for example, as opposed to CHECK constraints, we don't
match NOT NULL ones by name when descending a hierarchy to alter it;
instead we match by column number.  This means we don't require the
constraint names to be identical across a hierarchy.

For now, we omit them from system catalogs.  Maybe this is worth
reconsidering.  We don't support NOT VALID nor DEFERRABLE clauses
either; these can be added as separate features later (this patch is
already large and complicated enough.)

This has been very long in the making.  The first patch was written by
Bernd Helmle in 2010 to add a new pg_constraint.contype value ('n'),
which I (Álvaro) then hijacked in 2011 and 2012, until that one was
killed by the realization that we ought to use contype='c' instead:
manufactured CHECK constraints.  However, later SQL standard
development, as well as nonobvious emergent properties of that design
(mostly, failure to distinguish them from "normal" CHECK constraints as
well as the performance implication of having to test the CHECK
expression) led us to reconsider this choice, so now the current
implementation uses contype='n' again.

In 2016 Vitaly Burovoy also worked on this feature[1] but found no
consensus for his proposed approach, which was claimed to be closer to
the letter of the standard, requiring additional pg_attribute columns to
track the OID of the NOT NULL constraint for that column.
[1] https://postgr.es/m/CAKOSWNkN6HSyatuys8xZxzRCR-KL1OkHS5-b9qd9bf1Rad3PLA@mail.gmail.com

Author: Álvaro Herrera <alvherre@alvh.no-ip.org>
Author: Bernd Helmle <mailings@oopsware.de>
Reviewed-by: Justin Pryzby <pryzby@telsasoft.com>
Reviewed-by: Peter Eisentraut <peter.eisentraut@enterprisedb.com>

Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/CACA0E642A0267EDA387AF2B%40%5B172.26.14.62%5D
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/AANLkTinLXMOEMz+0J29tf1POokKi4XDkWJ6-DDR9BKgU@mail.gmail.com
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/20110707213401.GA27098@alvh.no-ip.org
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/1343682669-sup-2532@alvh.no-ip.org
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/CAKOSWNkN6HSyatuys8xZxzRCR-KL1OkHS5-b9qd9bf1Rad3PLA@mail.gmail.com
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/20220817181249.q7qvj3okywctra3c@alvherre.pgsql

1 files changed, 151 insertions, 55 deletions

diff --git a/src/backend/parser/parse_utilcmd.c b/src/backend/parser/parse_utilcmd.c
index b0f6fe4fa61..15d8f3a1a0b 100644
--- a/src/backend/parser/parse_utilcmd.c
+++ b/src/backend/parser/parse_utilcmd.c
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ typedef struct
 	List	   *ckconstraints;	/* CHECK constraints */
 	List	   *fkconstraints;	/* FOREIGN KEY constraints */
 	List	   *ixconstraints;	/* index-creating constraints */
+	List	   *nnconstraints;	/* NOT NULL constraints */
 	List	   *likeclauses;	/* LIKE clauses that need post-processing */
 	List	   *extstats;		/* cloned extended statistics */
 	List	   *blist;			/* "before list" of things to do before
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ transformCreateStmt(CreateStmt *stmt, const char *queryString)
 	cxt.ckconstraints = NIL;
 	cxt.fkconstraints = NIL;
 	cxt.ixconstraints = NIL;
+	cxt.nnconstraints = NIL;
 	cxt.likeclauses = NIL;
 	cxt.extstats = NIL;
 	cxt.blist = NIL;
@@ -348,6 +350,7 @@ transformCreateStmt(CreateStmt *stmt, const char *queryString)
 	 */
 	stmt->tableElts = cxt.columns;
 	stmt->constraints = cxt.ckconstraints;
+	stmt->nnconstraints = cxt.nnconstraints;
 
 	result = lappend(cxt.blist, stmt);
 	result = list_concat(result, cxt.alist);
@@ -537,6 +540,7 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 	bool		saw_default;
 	bool		saw_identity;
 	bool		saw_generated;
+	bool		need_notnull = false;
 	ListCell   *clist;
 
 	cxt->columns = lappend(cxt->columns, column);
@@ -634,10 +638,8 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 		constraint->cooked_expr = NULL;
 		column->constraints = lappend(column->constraints, constraint);
 
-		constraint = makeNode(Constraint);
-		constraint->contype = CONSTR_NOTNULL;
-		constraint->location = -1;
-		column->constraints = lappend(column->constraints, constraint);
+		/* have a NOT NULL constraint added later */
+		need_notnull = true;
 	}
 
 	/* Process column constraints, if any... */
@@ -655,7 +657,7 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 		switch (constraint->contype)
 		{
 			case CONSTR_NULL:
-				if (saw_nullable && column->is_not_null)
+				if ((saw_nullable && column->is_not_null) || need_notnull)
 					ereport(ERROR,
 							(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
 							 errmsg("conflicting NULL/NOT NULL declarations for column \"%s\" of table \"%s\"",
@@ -667,15 +669,58 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 				break;
 
 			case CONSTR_NOTNULL:
-				if (saw_nullable && !column->is_not_null)
-					ereport(ERROR,
-							(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
-							 errmsg("conflicting NULL/NOT NULL declarations for column \"%s\" of table \"%s\"",
-									column->colname, cxt->relation->relname),
-							 parser_errposition(cxt->pstate,
-												constraint->location)));
-				column->is_not_null = true;
-				saw_nullable = true;
+
+				/*
+				 * For NOT NULL declarations, we need to mark the column as
+				 * not nullable, and set things up to have a CHECK constraint
+				 * created.  Also, duplicate NOT NULL declarations are not
+				 * allowed.
+				 */
+				if (saw_nullable)
+				{
+					if (!column->is_not_null)
+						ereport(ERROR,
+								(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+								 errmsg("conflicting NULL/NOT NULL declarations for column \"%s\" of table \"%s\"",
+										column->colname, cxt->relation->relname),
+								 parser_errposition(cxt->pstate,
+													constraint->location)));
+					else
+						ereport(ERROR,
+								errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+								errmsg("redundant NOT NULL declarations for column \"%s\" of table \"%s\"",
+									   column->colname, cxt->relation->relname),
+								parser_errposition(cxt->pstate,
+												   constraint->location));
+				}
+
+				/*
+				 * If this is the first time we see this column being marked
+				 * not null, keep track to later add a NOT NULL constraint.
+				 */
+				if (!column->is_not_null)
+				{
+					Constraint *notnull;
+
+					column->is_not_null = true;
+					saw_nullable = true;
+
+					notnull = makeNode(Constraint);
+					notnull->contype = CONSTR_NOTNULL;
+					notnull->conname = constraint->conname;
+					notnull->deferrable = false;
+					notnull->initdeferred = false;
+					notnull->location = -1;
+					notnull->colname = column->colname;
+					notnull->skip_validation = false;
+					notnull->initially_valid = true;
+
+					cxt->nnconstraints = lappend(cxt->nnconstraints, notnull);
+
+					/* Don't need this anymore, if we had it */
+					need_notnull = false;
+				}
+
 				break;
 
 			case CONSTR_DEFAULT:
@@ -725,16 +770,19 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 					column->identity = constraint->generated_when;
 					saw_identity = true;
 
-					/* An identity column is implicitly NOT NULL */
-					if (saw_nullable && !column->is_not_null)
+					/*
+					 * Identity columns are always NOT NULL, but we may have a
+					 * constraint already.
+					 */
+					if (!saw_nullable)
+						need_notnull = true;
+					else if (!column->is_not_null)
 						ereport(ERROR,
 								(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
 								 errmsg("conflicting NULL/NOT NULL declarations for column \"%s\" of table \"%s\"",
 										column->colname, cxt->relation->relname),
 								 parser_errposition(cxt->pstate,
 													constraint->location)));
-					column->is_not_null = true;
-					saw_nullable = true;
 					break;
 				}
 
@@ -758,6 +806,11 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 
 			case CONSTR_CHECK:
 				cxt->ckconstraints = lappend(cxt->ckconstraints, constraint);
+
+				/*
+				 * XXX If the user says CHECK (IS NOT NULL), should we turn
+				 * that into a regular NOT NULL constraint?
+				 */
 				break;
 
 			case CONSTR_PRIMARY:
@@ -841,6 +894,29 @@ transformColumnDefinition(CreateStmtContext *cxt, ColumnDef *column)
 	}
 
 	/*
+	 * If we need a NOT NULL constraint for SERIAL or IDENTITY, and one was
+	 * not explicitly specified, add one now.
+	 */
+	if (need_notnull && !(saw_nullable && column->is_not_null))
+	{
+		Constraint *notnull;
+
+		column->is_not_null = true;
+
+		notnull = makeNode(Constraint);
+		notnull->contype = CONSTR_NOTNULL;
+		notnull->conname = NULL;
+		notnull->deferrable = false;
+		notnull->initdeferred = false;
+		notnull->location = -1;
+		notnull->colname = column->colname;
+		notnull->skip_validation = false;
+		notnull->initially_valid = true;
+
+		cxt->nnconstraints = lappend(cxt->nnconstraints, notnull);
+	}
+
+	/*
 	 * If needed, generate ALTER FOREIGN TABLE ALTER COLUMN statement to add
 	 * per-column foreign data wrapper options to this column after creation.
 	 */
@@ -915,6 +991,10 @@ transformTableConstraint(CreateStmtContext *cxt, Constraint *constraint)
 			cxt->ckconstraints = lappend(cxt->ckconstraints, constraint);
 			break;
 
+		case CONSTR_NOTNULL:
+			cxt->nnconstraints = lappend(cxt->nnconstraints, constraint);
+			break;
+
 		case CONSTR_FOREIGN:
 			if (cxt->isforeign)
 				ereport(ERROR,
@@ -926,7 +1006,6 @@ transformTableConstraint(CreateStmtContext *cxt, Constraint *constraint)
 			break;
 
 		case CONSTR_NULL:
-		case CONSTR_NOTNULL:
 		case CONSTR_DEFAULT:
 		case CONSTR_ATTR_DEFERRABLE:
 		case CONSTR_ATTR_NOT_DEFERRABLE:
@@ -962,6 +1041,7 @@ transformTableLikeClause(CreateStmtContext *cxt, TableLikeClause *table_like_cla
 	AclResult	aclresult;
 	char	   *comment;
 	ParseCallbackState pcbstate;
+	bool		process_notnull_constraints;
 
 	setup_parser_errposition_callback(&pcbstate, cxt->pstate,
 									  table_like_clause->relation->location);
@@ -1043,6 +1123,8 @@ transformTableLikeClause(CreateStmtContext *cxt, TableLikeClause *table_like_cla
 		def->inhcount = 0;
 		def->is_local = true;
 		def->is_not_null = attribute->attnotnull;
+		if (attribute->attnotnull)
+			process_notnull_constraints = true;
 		def->is_from_type = false;
 		def->storage = 0;
 		def->raw_default = NULL;
@@ -1124,14 +1206,19 @@ transformTableLikeClause(CreateStmtContext *cxt, TableLikeClause *table_like_cla
 	 * we don't yet know what column numbers the copied columns will have in
 	 * the finished table.  If any of those options are specified, add the
 	 * LIKE clause to cxt->likeclauses so that expandTableLikeClause will be
-	 * called after we do know that.  Also, remember the relation OID so that
+	 * called after we do know that; in addition, do that if there are any NOT
+	 * NULL constraints, because those must be propagated even if not
+	 * explicitly requested.
+	 *
+	 * In order for this to work, we remember the relation OID so that
 	 * expandTableLikeClause is certain to open the same table.
 	 */
-	if (table_like_clause->options &
+	if ((table_like_clause->options &
 		(CREATE_TABLE_LIKE_DEFAULTS |
 		 CREATE_TABLE_LIKE_GENERATED |
 		 CREATE_TABLE_LIKE_CONSTRAINTS |
-		 CREATE_TABLE_LIKE_INDEXES))
+		 CREATE_TABLE_LIKE_INDEXES)) ||
+		process_notnull_constraints)
 	{
 		table_like_clause->relationOid = RelationGetRelid(relation);
 		cxt->likeclauses = lappend(cxt->likeclauses, table_like_clause);
@@ -1203,6 +1290,7 @@ expandTableLikeClause(RangeVar *heapRel, TableLikeClause *table_like_clause)
 	TupleConstr *constr;
 	AttrMap    *attmap;
 	char	   *comment;
+	ListCell   *lc;
 
 	/*
 	 * Open the relation referenced by the LIKE clause.  We should still have
@@ -1383,6 +1471,20 @@ expandTableLikeClause(RangeVar *heapRel, TableLikeClause *table_like_clause)
 	}
 
 	/*
+	 * Copy NOT NULL constraints, too (these do not require any option to have
+	 * been given).
+	 */
+	foreach(lc, RelationGetNotNullConstraints(relation, false))
+	{
+		AlterTableCmd *atsubcmd;
+
+		atsubcmd = makeNode(AlterTableCmd);
+		atsubcmd->subtype = AT_AddConstraint;
+		atsubcmd->def = (Node *) lfirst_node(Constraint, lc);
+		atsubcmds = lappend(atsubcmds, atsubcmd);
+	}
+
+	/*
 	 * If we generated any ALTER TABLE actions above, wrap them into a single
 	 * ALTER TABLE command.  Stick it at the front of the result, so it runs
 	 * before any CommentStmts we made above.
@@ -2059,10 +2161,12 @@ transformIndexConstraints(CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 	ListCell   *lc;
 
 	/*
-	 * Run through the constraints that need to generate an index. For PRIMARY
-	 * KEY, mark each column as NOT NULL and create an index. For UNIQUE or
-	 * EXCLUDE, create an index as for PRIMARY KEY, but do not insist on NOT
-	 * NULL.
+	 * Run through the constraints that need to generate an index, and do so.
+	 *
+	 * For PRIMARY KEY, in addition we set each column's attnotnull flag true.
+	 * We do not create a separate CHECK (IS NOT NULL) constraint, as that
+	 * would be redundant: the PRIMARY KEY constraint itself fulfills that
+	 * role.  Other constraint types don't need any NOT NULL markings.
 	 */
 	foreach(lc, cxt->ixconstraints)
 	{
@@ -2136,9 +2240,7 @@ transformIndexConstraints(CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * Now append all the IndexStmts to cxt->alist.  If we generated an ALTER
-	 * TABLE SET NOT NULL statement to support a primary key, it's already in
-	 * cxt->alist.
+	 * Now append all the IndexStmts to cxt->alist.
 	 */
 	cxt->alist = list_concat(cxt->alist, finalindexlist);
 }
@@ -2146,12 +2248,10 @@ transformIndexConstraints(CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 /*
  * transformIndexConstraint
  *		Transform one UNIQUE, PRIMARY KEY, or EXCLUDE constraint for
- *		transformIndexConstraints.
+ *		transformIndexConstraints. An IndexStmt is returned.
  *
- * We return an IndexStmt.  For a PRIMARY KEY constraint, we additionally
- * produce NOT NULL constraints, either by marking ColumnDefs in cxt->columns
- * as is_not_null or by adding an ALTER TABLE SET NOT NULL command to
- * cxt->alist.
+ * For a PRIMARY KEY constraint, we additionally force the columns to be
+ * marked as NOT NULL, without producing a CHECK (IS NOT NULL) constraint.
  */
 static IndexStmt *
 transformIndexConstraint(Constraint *constraint, CreateStmtContext *cxt)
@@ -2417,7 +2517,6 @@ transformIndexConstraint(Constraint *constraint, CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 		{
 			char	   *key = strVal(lfirst(lc));
 			bool		found = false;
-			bool		forced_not_null = false;
 			ColumnDef  *column = NULL;
 			ListCell   *columns;
 			IndexElem  *iparam;
@@ -2438,13 +2537,14 @@ transformIndexConstraint(Constraint *constraint, CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 				 * column is defined in the new table.  For PRIMARY KEY, we
 				 * can apply the NOT NULL constraint cheaply here ... unless
 				 * the column is marked is_from_type, in which case marking it
-				 * here would be ineffective (see MergeAttributes).
+				 * here would be ineffective (see MergeAttributes).  Note that
+				 * this isn't effective in ALTER TABLE either, unless the
+				 * column is being added in the same command.
 				 */
 				if (constraint->contype == CONSTR_PRIMARY &&
 					!column->is_from_type)
 				{
 					column->is_not_null = true;
-					forced_not_null = true;
 				}
 			}
 			else if (SystemAttributeByName(key) != NULL)
@@ -2487,14 +2587,6 @@ transformIndexConstraint(Constraint *constraint, CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 						if (strcmp(key, inhname) == 0)
 						{
 							found = true;
-
-							/*
-							 * It's tempting to set forced_not_null if the
-							 * parent column is already NOT NULL, but that
-							 * seems unsafe because the column's NOT NULL
-							 * marking might disappear between now and
-							 * execution.  Do the runtime check to be safe.
-							 */
 							break;
 						}
 					}
@@ -2548,15 +2640,11 @@ transformIndexConstraint(Constraint *constraint, CreateStmtContext *cxt)
 			iparam->nulls_ordering = SORTBY_NULLS_DEFAULT;
 			index->indexParams = lappend(index->indexParams, iparam);
 
-			/*
-			 * For a primary-key column, also create an item for ALTER TABLE
-			 * SET NOT NULL if we couldn't ensure it via is_not_null above.
-			 */
-			if (constraint->contype == CONSTR_PRIMARY && !forced_not_null)
+			if (constraint->contype == CONSTR_PRIMARY)
 			{
 				AlterTableCmd *notnullcmd = makeNode(AlterTableCmd);
 
-				notnullcmd->subtype = AT_SetNotNull;
+				notnullcmd->subtype = AT_SetAttNotNull;
 				notnullcmd->name = pstrdup(key);
 				notnullcmds = lappend(notnullcmds, notnullcmd);
 			}
@@ -3328,6 +3416,7 @@ transformAlterTableStmt(Oid relid, AlterTableStmt *stmt,
 	cxt.isalter = true;
 	cxt.columns = NIL;
 	cxt.ckconstraints = NIL;
+	cxt.nnconstraints = NIL;
 	cxt.fkconstraints = NIL;
 	cxt.ixconstraints = NIL;
 	cxt.likeclauses = NIL;
@@ -3571,8 +3660,8 @@ transformAlterTableStmt(Oid relid, AlterTableStmt *stmt,
 
 		/*
 		 * We assume here that cxt.alist contains only IndexStmts and possibly
-		 * ALTER TABLE SET NOT NULL statements generated from primary key
-		 * constraints.  We absorb the subcommands of the latter directly.
+		 * AT_SetAttNotNull statements generated from primary key constraints.
+		 * We absorb the subcommands of the latter directly.
 		 */
 		if (IsA(istmt, IndexStmt))
 		{
@@ -3600,14 +3689,21 @@ transformAlterTableStmt(Oid relid, AlterTableStmt *stmt,
 	{
 		newcmd = makeNode(AlterTableCmd);
 		newcmd->subtype = AT_AddConstraint;
-		newcmd->def = (Node *) lfirst(l);
+		newcmd->def = (Node *) lfirst_node(Constraint, l);
 		newcmds = lappend(newcmds, newcmd);
 	}
 	foreach(l, cxt.fkconstraints)
 	{
 		newcmd = makeNode(AlterTableCmd);
 		newcmd->subtype = AT_AddConstraint;
-		newcmd->def = (Node *) lfirst(l);
+		newcmd->def = (Node *) lfirst_node(Constraint, l);
+		newcmds = lappend(newcmds, newcmd);
+	}
+	foreach(l, cxt.nnconstraints)
+	{
+		newcmd = makeNode(AlterTableCmd);
+		newcmd->subtype = AT_AddConstraint;
+		newcmd->def = (Node *) lfirst_node(Constraint, l);
 		newcmds = lappend(newcmds, newcmd);
 	}