Fun with postgresql

I'm using several bits and pieces for my email server that use postgresql for storage. I really don't want several different databases, though. If I put them all in the same database, there is a slight -- as in no -- chance of a name collision for table names, etc.

I just spent an hour looking at the code for the grey listing daemon to see what it would take to have it use a specific schema in the email database. Turns out that it is very simple for any code that links to libpg. The connection string (conninfo) can include parameters such as "search_path." I could add a search_path configuration option to that code very easily. Great.

But one of the bits -- the second biggest bit -- uses a third party library that knows how to talk to several different databases. Suddenly it is hard to tell that bit to use a schema. Foiled again in my great plan.

Postgresql to the rescue. The default search_path is "$USER",public. Ah-ha! If each bit and piece connects with its own username, I can have a schema for each bit by naming the schema after the bit or piece. Simple. And it is what I shall do.

In any event, if a program is written as a adjunct to other programs and it only talks to postgresql, it should damn well offer up some options about how to talk to the database! It is not that hard.