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From: Ron Johnson <ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 09:32:44 -0400
Message-ID: 
 <CANzqJaCNaqhQ9duPP+eKU2OR1wjGYW-FBQ2FZXqnBRb6XAnKQA@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Request For Feature: pg_dump
To: Pgsql-admin <pgsql-admin@lists.postgresql.org>
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In --format=directory mode, remove .dat files with zero data records, and
mark that table's toc.dat entry that it's an empty table.

Justification: *lots* of empty tables means *lots* of teeny-tiny files in
the DB's dump directory.  That unnecessarily bloats the fs, and makes "du
-c" really really slow.

But why are there sooo many empty tables?  You shouldn't have so many empty
tables!

Yeah, well, software (especially 3rd-party software that must be generic to
satisfy the varying needs of a large and varied customer base) can't always
be perfectly tuned to the precise and immediate needs of a particular
site.  Partitioning makes that much much worse.

We've survived this long without it, but pgbackrest has a similar feature
(though implemented differently from how pg_dump would do it), and it's
*really* handy.

-- 
Death to <Redacted>, and butter sauce.
Don't boil me, I'm still alive.
<Redacted> lobster!

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>In --format=3Ddirectory mode, remove .dat files with =
zero data records, and mark that table&#39;s toc.dat entry that it&#39;s an=
 empty table.</div><div><br></div><div>Justification: <i>lots</i> of empty =
tables means <i>lots</i>=C2=A0of teeny-tiny files in the DB&#39;s dump dire=
ctory.=C2=A0 That unnecessarily bloats the fs, and makes &quot;du -c&quot; =
really really slow.</div><div><br></div><div>But why are there sooo many em=
pty tables?=C2=A0 You shouldn&#39;t have so many empty tables!</div><div><b=
r></div><div>Yeah, well, software (especially 3rd-party software that must =
be generic to satisfy the varying needs of a large and varied customer base=
) can&#39;t always be perfectly tuned to the precise and immediate needs of=
 a particular site.=C2=A0 Partitioning makes that much much worse.</div><di=
v><br></div><div>We&#39;ve survived this long without it, but pgbackrest ha=
s a similar feature (though implemented differently from how pg_dump would =
do it), and it&#39;s <i>really</i>=C2=A0handy.</div><div><br></div><span cl=
ass=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmai=
l_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr">Death to &=
lt;Redacted&gt;, and butter sauce.<div>Don&#39;t boil me, I&#39;m still ali=
ve.<br><div><div>&lt;Redacted&gt; lobster!</div></div></div></div></div></d=
iv>

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