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In-Reply-To: <ae61f593b83ef62e5737c205a04498ea281b8a02.camel@cybertec.at>
From: "Radoulov, Dimitre" <cichomitiko@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:45:40 +0100
Message-ID: 
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Subject: Re: Documentation clarification request: pg_dumpall and Large Objects
To: Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at>
Cc: pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org
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Il Ven 27 Feb 2026, 23:23 Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at> ha
scritto:

> On Thu, 2025-12-04 at 19:11 +0100, Laurenz Albe wrote:
> > On Thu, 2025-12-04 at 18:12 +0100, Radoulov, Dimitre wrote:
> > > Il Gio 4 Dic 2025, 16:50 Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at> ha
> scritto:
> > > > On Thu, 2025-12-04 at 13:12 +0100, Radoulov, Dimitre wrote:
> > > > > I would like to request a clarification in the pg_dumpall
> > > > > documentation regarding Large Objects (LOBs). The current
> > > > > documentation does not explicitly state whether pg_dumpall includes
> > > > > Large Objects in its output.
> > > >
> > > > I admit that you have to go by circumstantial evidence here.  But
> rather
> > > > than explicitly naming large objects, perhaps it would be useful to
> add something
> > > > like
> > > >
> > > >   pg_dumpall is primarily intended as a tool to upgrade database
> clusters.
> > > >   As such, it by default exports all data of the entire cluster.
> > > >   The only part of the state of a database cluster that is *not*
> included
> > > >   in the output of pg_dumpall are the configuration files and
> database parameters
> > > >   changed with ALTER SYSTEM.
> >
> > Attached is a patch for such a change.
>
> Commit 763aaa06f0 has changed the situation: with the addition of other
> formats
> than the plain format, it no longer makes sense to say that pg_dumpall
> is not useful for backup.  Still, we should clarify what is *not* included.
>
> The attached patch does that and in passing improves the readability.
>


Thank you for the update.

Best regards
Dimitre

>

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<div dir=3D"auto"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote" dir=3D"auto"><div dir=
=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">Il Ven 27 Feb 2026, 23:23 Laurenz Albe &lt;<a=
 href=3D"mailto:laurenz.albe@cybertec.at" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferr=
er">laurenz.albe@cybertec.at</a>&gt; ha scritto:<br></div><blockquote class=
=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padd=
ing-left:1ex">On Thu, 2025-12-04 at 19:11 +0100, Laurenz Albe wrote:<br>
&gt; On Thu, 2025-12-04 at 18:12 +0100, Radoulov, Dimitre wrote:<br>
&gt; &gt; Il Gio 4 Dic 2025, 16:50 Laurenz Albe &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:laure=
nz.albe@cybertec.at" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">lauren=
z.albe@cybertec.at</a>&gt; ha scritto:<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; On Thu, 2025-12-04 at 13:12 +0100, Radoulov, Dimitre wrote:<=
br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; I would like to request a clarification in the pg_dumpa=
ll<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; documentation regarding Large Objects (LOBs). The curre=
nt<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; documentation does not explicitly state whether pg_dump=
all includes<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; Large Objects in its output.<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; <br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; I admit that you have to go by circumstantial evidence here.=
=C2=A0 But rather<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; than explicitly naming large objects, perhaps it would be us=
eful to add something<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; like<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; <br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; =C2=A0 pg_dumpall is primarily intended as a tool to upgrade=
 database clusters.<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; =C2=A0 As such, it by default exports all data of the entire=
 cluster.<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; =C2=A0 The only part of the state of a database cluster that=
 is *not* included<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; =C2=A0 in the output of pg_dumpall are the configuration fil=
es and database parameters<br>
&gt; &gt; &gt; =C2=A0 changed with ALTER SYSTEM.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; Attached is a patch for such a change.<br>
<br>
Commit 763aaa06f0 has changed the situation: with the addition of other for=
mats<br>
than the plain format, it no longer makes sense to say that pg_dumpall<br>
is not useful for backup.=C2=A0 Still, we should clarify what is *not* incl=
uded.<br>
<br>
The attached patch does that and in passing improves the readability.<br></=
blockquote></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><d=
iv dir=3D"auto">Thank you for the update.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br>=
</div><div dir=3D"auto">Best regards=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto">Dimitre=
=C2=A0</div><div class=3D"gmail_quote" dir=3D"auto"><blockquote class=3D"gm=
ail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-le=
ft:1ex"></blockquote></div></div>

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