diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
index 7cfb12198890728e7003b7e77a40f4210b120315..0aaf4c1b480cbad9f2b5e79cf200baec1ce53b98 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml,v 1.452 2008/11/03 17:51:12 tgl Exp $ -->
+<!-- $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml,v 1.453 2008/11/03 20:17:20 adunstan Exp $ -->
<chapter id="functions">
<title>Functions and Operators</title>
@@ -12846,4 +12846,55 @@ SELECT (pg_stat_file('filename')).modification;
</sect1>
+ <sect1 id="functions-trigger">
+ <title>Trigger Functions</title>
+
+ <indexterm>
+ <primary>suppress_redundant_updates_trigger</primary>
+ </indexterm>
+
+ <para>
+ Currently <productname>PostgreSQL</> provides one built in trigger
+ function, <function>suppress_redundant_updates_trigger</>,
+ which will prevent any update
+ that does not actually change the data in the row from taking place, in
+ contrast to the normal behaviour which always performs the update
+ regardless of whether or not the data has changed. (This normal behaviour
+ makes updates run faster, since no checking is required, and is also
+ useful in certain cases.)
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ Ideally, you should normally avoid running updates that don't actually
+ change the data in the record. Redundant updates can cost considerable
+ unnecessary time, especially if there are lots of indexes to alter,
+ and space in dead rows that will eventually have to be vacuumed.
+ However, detecting such situations in client code is not
+ always easy, or even possible, and writing expressions to detect
+ them can be error-prone. An alternative is to use
+ <function>suppress_redundant_updates_trigger</>, which will skip
+ updates that don't change the data. You should use this with care,
+ however. The trigger takes a small but non-trivial time for each record,
+ so if most of the records affected by an update are actually changed,
+ use of this trigger will actually make the update run slower.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ The <function>suppress_redundant_updates_trigger</> function can be
+ added to a table like this:
+<programlisting>
+CREATE TRIGGER z_min_update
+BEFORE UPDATE ON tablename
+FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE suppress_redundant_updates_trigger();
+</programlisting>
+ In most cases, you would want to fire this trigger last for each row.
+ Bearing in mind that triggers fire in name order, you would then
+ choose a trigger name that comes after the name of any other trigger
+ you might have on the table.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ For more information about creating triggers, see
+ <xref linkend="SQL-CREATETRIGGER">.
+ </para>
+ </sect1>
</chapter>
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/Makefile b/src/backend/utils/adt/Makefile
index 991684a3331ce166efcc809e0d9fc656750f32dc..d7d28c9f159d3813d8df4c3be751f83b17a73fe1 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/Makefile
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
#
# Makefile for utils/adt
#
-# $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/Makefile,v 1.69 2008/02/19 10:30:08 petere Exp $
+# $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/Makefile,v 1.70 2008/11/03 20:17:20 adunstan Exp $
#
subdir = src/backend/utils/adt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ OBJS = acl.o arrayfuncs.o array_userfuncs.o arrayutils.o bool.o \
tid.o timestamp.o varbit.o varchar.o varlena.o version.o xid.o \
network.o mac.o inet_net_ntop.o inet_net_pton.o \
ri_triggers.o pg_lzcompress.o pg_locale.o formatting.o \
- ascii.o quote.o pgstatfuncs.o encode.o dbsize.o genfile.o \
+ ascii.o quote.o pgstatfuncs.o encode.o dbsize.o genfile.o trigfuncs.o \
tsginidx.o tsgistidx.o tsquery.o tsquery_cleanup.o tsquery_gist.o \
tsquery_op.o tsquery_rewrite.o tsquery_util.o tsrank.o \
tsvector.o tsvector_op.o tsvector_parser.o \
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/trigfuncs.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/trigfuncs.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2f3692ec431f06755f209a7f8034325b038fb957
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/trigfuncs.c
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *
+ * trigfuncs.c
+ * Builtin functions for useful trigger support.
+ *
+ *
+ * Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2008, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
+ * Portions Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
+ *
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/trigfuncs.c,v 1.1 2008/11/03 20:17:20 adunstan Exp $
+ *
+ *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ */
+
+
+
+#include "postgres.h"
+#include "commands/trigger.h"
+#include "access/htup.h"
+
+/*
+ * suppress_redundant_updates_trigger
+ *
+ * This trigger function will inhibit an update from being done
+ * if the OLD and NEW records are identical.
+ *
+ */
+
+Datum
+suppress_redundant_updates_trigger(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
+{
+ TriggerData *trigdata = (TriggerData *) fcinfo->context;
+ HeapTuple newtuple, oldtuple, rettuple;
+ HeapTupleHeader newheader, oldheader;
+
+ /* make sure it's called as a trigger */
+ if (!CALLED_AS_TRIGGER(fcinfo))
+ elog(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_E_R_I_E_TRIGGER_PROTOCOL_VIOLATED),
+ errmsg("suppress_redundant_updates_trigger: must be called as trigger")));
+
+ /* and that it's called on update */
+ if (! TRIGGER_FIRED_BY_UPDATE(trigdata->tg_event))
+ ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_E_R_I_E_TRIGGER_PROTOCOL_VIOLATED),
+ errmsg( "suppress_redundant_updates_trigger: may only be called on update")));
+
+ /* and that it's called before update */
+ if (! TRIGGER_FIRED_BEFORE(trigdata->tg_event))
+ ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_E_R_I_E_TRIGGER_PROTOCOL_VIOLATED),
+ errmsg( "suppress_redundant_updates_trigger: may only be called before update")));
+
+ /* and that it's called for each row */
+ if (! TRIGGER_FIRED_FOR_ROW(trigdata->tg_event))
+ ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_E_R_I_E_TRIGGER_PROTOCOL_VIOLATED),
+ errmsg( "suppress_redundant_updates_trigger: may only be called for each row")));
+
+ /* get tuple data, set default return */
+ rettuple = newtuple = trigdata->tg_newtuple;
+ oldtuple = trigdata->tg_trigtuple;
+
+ newheader = newtuple->t_data;
+ oldheader = oldtuple->t_data;
+
+ if (newtuple->t_len == oldtuple->t_len &&
+ newheader->t_hoff == oldheader->t_hoff &&
+ (HeapTupleHeaderGetNatts(newheader) ==
+ HeapTupleHeaderGetNatts(oldheader) ) &&
+ ((newheader->t_infomask & ~HEAP_XACT_MASK) ==
+ (oldheader->t_infomask & ~HEAP_XACT_MASK) )&&
+ memcmp(((char *)newheader) + offsetof(HeapTupleHeaderData, t_bits),
+ ((char *)oldheader) + offsetof(HeapTupleHeaderData, t_bits),
+ newtuple->t_len - offsetof(HeapTupleHeaderData, t_bits)) == 0)
+ {
+ rettuple = NULL;
+ }
+
+ return PointerGetDatum(rettuple);
+}
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h b/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h
index 86a8e3f2735c8d201b66203164e8f29a922a35f7..e1e7d5a08b890760c2ea123df270d23c1f836e27 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h
+++ b/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
* Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2008, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
* Portions Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
*
- * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h,v 1.521 2008/11/03 17:51:13 tgl Exp $
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.h,v 1.522 2008/11/03 20:17:20 adunstan Exp $
*
* NOTES
* The script catalog/genbki.sh reads this file and generates .bki
@@ -1580,6 +1580,9 @@ DESCR("convert int8 to oid");
DATA(insert OID = 1288 ( int8 PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 0 f f t f i 1 20 "26" _null_ _null_ _null_ oidtoi8 _null_ _null_ _null_ ));
DESCR("convert oid to int8");
+DATA(insert OID = 1291 ( suppress_redundant_updates_trigger PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 0 f f t f v 0 2279 "" _null_ _null_ _null_ suppress_redundant_updates_trigger _null_ _null_ _null_ ));
+DESCR("trigger to suppress updates when new and old records match");
+
DATA(insert OID = 1292 ( tideq PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 0 f f t f i 2 16 "27 27" _null_ _null_ _null_ tideq _null_ _null_ _null_ ));
DESCR("equal");
DATA(insert OID = 1293 ( currtid PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 0 f f t f v 2 27 "26 27" _null_ _null_ _null_ currtid_byreloid _null_ _null_ _null_ ));
@@ -2289,6 +2292,7 @@ DESCR("result type of a function");
DATA(insert OID = 1686 ( pg_get_keywords PGNSP PGUID 12 10 400 0 f f t t s 0 2249 "" "{25,18,25}" "{o,o,o}" "{word,catcode,catdesc}" pg_get_keywords _null_ _null_ _null_ ));
DESCR("list of SQL keywords");
+
DATA(insert OID = 1619 ( pg_typeof PGNSP PGUID 12 1 0 0 f f f f i 1 2206 "2276" _null_ _null_ _null_ pg_typeof _null_ _null_ _null_ ));
DESCR("returns the type of the argument");
diff --git a/src/include/utils/builtins.h b/src/include/utils/builtins.h
index c594e5f2e6123eda32e7950ddb1d161f53dec1dc..659b62ea5e9e71c226587c20a3093df640b826a2 100644
--- a/src/include/utils/builtins.h
+++ b/src/include/utils/builtins.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
* Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2008, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
* Portions Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
*
- * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/include/utils/builtins.h,v 1.325 2008/11/03 17:51:13 tgl Exp $
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/include/utils/builtins.h,v 1.326 2008/11/03 20:17:20 adunstan Exp $
*
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/
@@ -900,6 +900,9 @@ extern Datum RI_FKey_setnull_upd(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
extern Datum RI_FKey_setdefault_del(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
extern Datum RI_FKey_setdefault_upd(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
+/* trigfuncs.c */
+extern Datum suppress_redundant_updates_trigger(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
+
/* encoding support functions */
extern Datum getdatabaseencoding(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
extern Datum database_character_set(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out b/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out
index a7990a5e18989512005988dcc37bae66d749a5ec..e1d8f1af3194f827b42936f4ac77d8284e76bd29 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out
@@ -537,3 +537,28 @@ NOTICE: row 1 not changed
NOTICE: row 2 not changed
DROP TABLE trigger_test;
DROP FUNCTION mytrigger();
+-- minimal update trigger
+CREATE TABLE min_updates_test (
+ f1 text,
+ f2 int,
+ f3 int);
+INSERT INTO min_updates_test VALUES ('a',1,2),('b','2',null);
+CREATE TRIGGER z_min_update
+BEFORE UPDATE ON min_updates_test
+FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE suppress_redundant_updates_trigger();
+\set QUIET false
+UPDATE min_updates_test SET f1 = f1;
+UPDATE 0
+UPDATE min_updates_test SET f2 = f2 + 1;
+UPDATE 2
+UPDATE min_updates_test SET f3 = 2 WHERE f3 is null;
+UPDATE 1
+\set QUIET true
+SELECT * FROM min_updates_test;
+ f1 | f2 | f3
+----+----+----
+ a | 2 | 2
+ b | 3 | 2
+(2 rows)
+
+DROP TABLE min_updates_test;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql
index 647c4c448ea49e4d4637e38b2ed401bd64aa396b..3cc42c6cb695ac19e94ef5095f8e4d3b0c90e64c 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql
@@ -415,3 +415,32 @@ UPDATE trigger_test SET f3 = NULL;
DROP TABLE trigger_test;
DROP FUNCTION mytrigger();
+
+
+-- minimal update trigger
+
+CREATE TABLE min_updates_test (
+ f1 text,
+ f2 int,
+ f3 int);
+
+INSERT INTO min_updates_test VALUES ('a',1,2),('b','2',null);
+
+CREATE TRIGGER z_min_update
+BEFORE UPDATE ON min_updates_test
+FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE suppress_redundant_updates_trigger();
+
+\set QUIET false
+
+UPDATE min_updates_test SET f1 = f1;
+
+UPDATE min_updates_test SET f2 = f2 + 1;
+
+UPDATE min_updates_test SET f3 = 2 WHERE f3 is null;
+
+\set QUIET true
+
+SELECT * FROM min_updates_test;
+
+DROP TABLE min_updates_test;
+