Query Optimizer Failure / Possible Bug

[Hannes Dorbath]

First - I'm not sure whether this should go to .bugs, .hackers oder
..sql, so I posted here :/

The query and the corresponding EXPLAIN is at

http://hannes.imos.net/query.txt

I'd like to use the column q.replaced_serials for multiple calculations
in the SELECT clause, but every time it is referenced there in some way
the whole query in the FROM clause returning q is executed again.

This doesn't make sense to me at all and eats performance.

If this wasn't clear enough, for every

q.replaced_serials <insert_random_calculation> AS some_column

in the SELECT clause there is new block of

---------------------------------------------------------------
-> Aggregate (cost=884.23..884.23 rows=1 width=0)
-> Nested Loop (cost=0.00..884.23 rows=1 width=0)
-> Index Scan using ix_rma_ticket_serials_replace
on rma_ticket_serials rts (cost=0.00..122.35 rows=190 width=4)
Index Cond: ("replace" = false)
-> Index Scan using pk_serials on serials s
(cost=0.00..3.51 rows=1 width=4)
Index Cond: (s.serial_id = "outer".serial_id)
Filter: ((article_no = $0) AND (delivery_id = $1))
---------------------------------------------------------------

in the EXPLAIN result.

For those who wonder why I do this FROM (SELECT...). I was searching for
a way to use the result of an subselect for multiple calculations in the
SELECT clause and return that calculation results as individual columns.

I tested a bit further and found out that PG behaves the same in case q
is a view. This makes me wonder how efficient the optimizer can work
with views - or even worse - nested views.

Tested and reproduced on PG 7.4.1 linux and 8.0.0 win32.
Thanks in advance,
Hannes Dorbath
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