<!-- doc/src/sgml/generic-wal.sgml -->

<chapter id="generic-wal">
 <title>Generic WAL records</title>

  <para>
   Despite all built-in access methods and WAL-logged modules having their own
   types of WAL records, there is also a generic WAL record type, which describes
   changes to pages in a generic way.  This is useful for extensions that
   provide custom access methods, because they cannot register their own
   WAL redo routines.
  </para>

  <para>
   The API for contructing generic WAL records is defined in
   <filename>generic_xlog.h</> and implemented in <filename>generic_xlog.c</>.
   Each generic WAL record must be constructed by following these steps:

   <orderedlist>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      <function>state = GenericXLogStart(relation)</> &mdash; start
      construction of a generic xlog record for the given relation.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      <function>page = GenericXLogRegister(state, buffer, isNew)</> &mdash;
      register one or more buffers (one at a time) for the current generic
      xlog record.  This function returns a copy of the page image, where
      modifications can be made.  The second argument indicates if the page
      is new (eventually, this will result in a full page image being put into
      the xlog record).
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      Apply modifications to page images obtained in the previous step.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      <function>GenericXLogFinish(state)</> &mdash; finish construction of
      a generic xlog record.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </orderedlist>
  </para>

  <para>
   The xlog record construction can be canceled between any of the above
   steps by calling <function>GenericXLogAbort(state)</>.  This will discard all
   changes to the page image copies.
  </para>

  <para>
   Please note the following points when constructing generic xlog records:
   <itemizedlist>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      No direct modifications of page images are allowed!  All modifications
      must be done in copies acquired from <function>GenericXLogRegister()</>.
      In other words, code which makes generic xlog records must never call
      <function>BufferGetPage()</>.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      Registrations of buffers (step 2) and modifications of page images
      (step 3) can be mixed freely, i.e., both steps may be repeated in any
      sequence.  The only restriction is that you can modify a page image
      only after the registration of the corresponding buffer.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      After registration, the buffer can also be unregistered by calling
      <function>GenericXLogUnregister(buffer)</>.  In this case, the changes
      made to that particular page image copy will be discarded.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      Generic xlog assumes that pages are using standard layout.  I.e., all
      information between pd_lower and pd_upper will be discarded.
     </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      The maximum number of buffers that can be simultaneously registered
      for a generic xlog is <literal>MAX_GENERIC_XLOG_PAGES</>.  An error will
      be thrown if this limit is exceeded.
     </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Since you modify copies of page images, <function>GenericXLogStart()</>
      does not start a critical section.  Thus, you can do memory allocation,
      error throwing, etc. between <function>GenericXLogStart()</> and
      <function>GenericXLogFinish()</>.  The actual critical section is present
      inside <function>GenericXLogFinish()</>.
     </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      <function>GenericXLogFinish()</> takes care of marking buffers as dirty
      and setting their LSNs.  You do not need to do this explicitly.
     </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      For unlogged relations, everything works the same except there is no
      WAL record produced.  Thus, you typically do not need to do any explicit
      checks for unlogged relations.
     </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      If a registered buffer is not new, the generic xlog record contains
      a delta between the old and the new page images.  This delta is produced
      using per byte comparison.  The current delta mechanism is not effective
      for moving data within a page and may be improved in the future.
     </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      The generic xlog redo function will acquire exclusive locks to buffers
      in the same order as they were registered.  After redoing all changes,
      the locks will be released in the same order.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </itemizedlist>
  </para>
</chapter>
