Re: [GENERAL] Sorting Problem

[Dennis Gearon]

Perhaps the only way to get around the cache problem is to use an ISO-8859-x 8bit character set, but to have per table, or per column encoding attributes. And of course, ways to access what those are, in the Postgres API. Good for speed, but not for easy storing of multiple language/encodings per column/table.

Gianni Mariani wrote:

Dennis Gearon wrote:

I agree with all of that except for one caveat:

    all my reading, and just general off the cuff thinking, says that 
processing variable width characters SIGNIFICANTLY slows an 
application. It seems better to PROCESS fixed width characters (1,2,4 
byte), and TRANSMIT variable width characters (avoiding the null 
problem.) 


I can and have solved that problem.  If you can assume utf-8 encoding 
then there are available to you a bunch o tricks that takes this problem 
away.

The other problem with memory (and hence cache) utilization of a wide 
char only solution it far more significant.
Cache effects are the primary killer for performance in an app like a 
database.

Anyhow, before making any "decisions" one should do a bunch of analysis.

Cheers
G


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