PostgreSQL SQL - could not find pathkey item to sort

Author

could not find pathkey item to sort

Phillip Smith

2006-12-07, 7:15 pm

Hi All,

Since upgrading to PG 8.2, I'm getting this error on a nightly (bash) script
that calls psql (it's purpose is to find stock codes that share an EAN
Barcode with another code - it used to work, now doesn't):

ERROR: could not find pathkey item to sort

SQL state: XX000

The error is because of the ORDER BY clause of this query:

SELECT code, description, ean

FROM $TMPTABLE

WHERE ean <> ''

AND ean IN (SELECT ean FROM $TMPTABLE GROUP BY ean HAVING count(ean) >
1)

ORDER BY ean

The $TMPTABLE is created as per:

CREATE TEMP TABLE $TMPTABLE

(

code varchar(6),

description varchar(38),

grp varchar(4),

brand text,

style text,

supplier varchar(6),

supplier_code text,

wholesale numeric(10,2),

retail numeric(10,2),

ean varchar(13)

)

WITHOUT OIDS;

-- Import the file from WB Database

COPY $TMPTABLE FROM '$TMPFILE';

I've tried creating an index and doing a reindex on the temp table because
the select to no avail.

Any help would be great - I've "fixed" it at the moment by commenting the
ORDER BY clause, but it would be nice to have it sorted properly, and also
in case it happens in any other tables.

Thanks,

-p

Phillip Smith
IT Coordinator
Weatherbeeta P/L
8 Moncrief Rd
Nunawading, VIC, 3131
AUSTRALIA

E. phillips@weatherbeet
a.com.au

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Tom Lane

2006-12-07, 7:15 pm

"Phillip Smith" < phillips@weatherbeet
a.com.au> writes:
> Since upgrading to PG 8.2, I'm getting this error on a nightly (bash)
> script
> ERROR: could not find pathkey item to sort

I think this is a variant manifestation of the same bug already reported
here:
http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsq...12/msg00284.php
and fixed here:
http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsq...12/msg00056.php

Leastwise, it went away for me after applying that patch ...

regards, tom lane

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TIP 9: In versions below 8.0, the planner will ignore your desire to
choose an index scan if your joining column's datatypes do not
match

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