libpq: Add PQsendPipelineSync()

This new function is equivalent to PQpipelineSync(), except that it does
not flush anything to the server except if the size threshold of the
output buffer is reached; the user must subsequently call PQflush()
instead.

Its purpose is to reduce the system call overhead of pipeline mode, by
giving to applications more control over the timing of the flushes when
manipulating commands in pipeline mode.

Author: Anton Kirilov
Reviewed-by: Jelte Fennema-Nio, Robert Haas, Álvaro Herrera, Denis
Laxalde, Michael Paquier
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/CACV6eE5arHFZEA717=iKEa_OewpVFfWJOmsOdGrqqsr8CJVfWQ@mail.gmail.com

doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml

@@ -3547,8 +3547,9 @@ ExecStatusType PQresultStatus(const PGresult *res);
           <listitem>
            <para>
             The <structname>PGresult</structname> represents a
-            synchronization point in pipeline mode, requested by
+            synchronization point in pipeline mode, requested by either
-            <xref linkend="libpq-PQpipelineSync"/>.
+            <xref linkend="libpq-PQpipelineSync"/> or
+            <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendPipelineSync"/>.
             This status occurs only when pipeline mode has been selected.
            </para>
           </listitem>
@@ -5122,7 +5123,8 @@ int PQsendClosePortal(PGconn *conn, const char *portalName);
        <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendDescribePrepared"/>,
        <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendDescribePortal"/>,
        <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendClosePrepared"/>,
-       <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendClosePortal"/>, or
+       <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendClosePortal"/>,
+       <xref linkend="libpq-PQsendPipelineSync"/>, or
        <xref linkend="libpq-PQpipelineSync"/>
        call, and returns it.
        A null pointer is returned when the command is complete and there
@@ -5507,8 +5509,9 @@ int PQflush(PGconn *conn);
      client sends them.  The server will begin executing the commands in the
      pipeline immediately, not waiting for the end of the pipeline.
      Note that results are buffered on the server side; the server flushes
-     that buffer when a synchronization point is established with
+     that buffer when a synchronization point is established with either
-     <function>PQpipelineSync</function>, or when
+     <function>PQpipelineSync</function> or
+     <function>PQsendPipelineSync</function>, or when
      <function>PQsendFlushRequest</function> is called.
      If any statement encounters an error, the server aborts the current
      transaction and does not execute any subsequent command in the queue
@@ -5565,7 +5568,8 @@ int PQflush(PGconn *conn);
      <type>PGresult</type> types <literal>PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC</literal>
      and <literal>PGRES_PIPELINE_ABORTED</literal>.
      <literal>PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC</literal> is reported exactly once for each
-     <function>PQpipelineSync</function> at the corresponding point
+     <function>PQpipelineSync</function> or
+     <function>PQsendPipelineSync</function> at the corresponding point
      in the pipeline.
      <literal>PGRES_PIPELINE_ABORTED</literal> is emitted in place of a normal
      query result for the first error and all subsequent results
@@ -5603,7 +5607,8 @@ int PQflush(PGconn *conn);
      <function>PQresultStatus</function> will report a
      <literal>PGRES_PIPELINE_ABORTED</literal> result for each remaining queued
      operation in an aborted pipeline. The result for
-     <function>PQpipelineSync</function> is reported as
+     <function>PQpipelineSync</function> or
+     <function>PQsendPipelineSync</function> is reported as
      <literal>PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC</literal> to signal the end of the aborted pipeline
      and resumption of normal result processing.
     </para>
@@ -5810,6 +5815,32 @@ int PQpipelineSync(PGconn *conn);
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
 
+    <varlistentry id="libpq-PQsendPipelineSync">
+     <term><function>PQsendPipelineSync</function><indexterm><primary>PQsendPipelineSync</primary></indexterm></term>
+
+     <listitem>
+      <para>
+       Marks a synchronization point in a pipeline by sending a
+       <link linkend="protocol-flow-ext-query">sync message</link>
+       without flushing the send buffer. This serves as
+       the delimiter of an implicit transaction and an error recovery
+       point; see <xref linkend="libpq-pipeline-errors"/>.
+
+<synopsis>
+int PQsendPipelineSync(PGconn *conn);
+</synopsis>
+      </para>
+      <para>
+       Returns 1 for success. Returns 0 if the connection is not in
+       pipeline mode or sending a
+       <link linkend="protocol-flow-ext-query">sync message</link>
+       failed.
+       Note that the message is not itself flushed to the server automatically;
+       use <function>PQflush</function> if necessary.
+      </para>
+     </listitem>
+    </varlistentry>
+
     <varlistentry id="libpq-PQsendFlushRequest">
      <term><function>PQsendFlushRequest</function><indexterm><primary>PQsendFlushRequest</primary></indexterm></term>
 

src/interfaces/libpq/exports.txt

@@ -192,3 +192,4 @@ PQclosePortal             189
 PQsendClosePrepared       190
 PQsendClosePortal         191
 PQchangePassword          192
+PQsendPipelineSync        193

src/interfaces/libpq/fe-exec.c

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ static int	PQsendTypedCommand(PGconn *conn, char command, char type,
 							   const char *target);
 static int	check_field_number(const PGresult *res, int field_num);
 static void pqPipelineProcessQueue(PGconn *conn);
+static int	pqPipelineSyncInternal(PGconn *conn, bool immediate_flush);
 static int	pqPipelineFlush(PGconn *conn);
 
 
@@ -3224,25 +3225,48 @@ pqPipelineProcessQueue(PGconn *conn)
 /*
  * PQpipelineSync
  *		Send a Sync message as part of a pipeline, and flush to server
+ */
+int
+PQpipelineSync(PGconn *conn)
+{
+	return pqPipelineSyncInternal(conn, true);
+}
+
+/*
+ * PQsendPipelineSync
+ *		Send a Sync message as part of a pipeline, without flushing to server
+ */
+int
+PQsendPipelineSync(PGconn *conn)
+{
+	return pqPipelineSyncInternal(conn, false);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Workhorse function for PQpipelineSync and PQsendPipelineSync.
  *
  * It's legal to start submitting more commands in the pipeline immediately,
  * without waiting for the results of the current pipeline. There's no need to
  * end pipeline mode and start it again.
  *
- * If a command in a pipeline fails, every subsequent command up to and including
+ * If a command in a pipeline fails, every subsequent command up to and
- * the result to the Sync message sent by PQpipelineSync gets set to
+ * including the result to the Sync message sent by pqPipelineSyncInternal
- * PGRES_PIPELINE_ABORTED state. If the whole pipeline is processed without
+ * gets set to PGRES_PIPELINE_ABORTED state. If the whole pipeline is
- * error, a PGresult with PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC is produced.
+ * processed without error, a PGresult with PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC is produced.
  *
- * Queries can already have been sent before PQpipelineSync is called, but
+ * Queries can already have been sent before pqPipelineSyncInternal is called,
- * PQpipelineSync needs to be called before retrieving command results.
+ * but pqPipelineSyncInternal needs to be called before retrieving command
+ * results.
  *
  * The connection will remain in pipeline mode and unavailable for new
  * synchronous command execution functions until all results from the pipeline
  * are processed by the client.
+ *
+ * immediate_flush controls if the flush happens immediately after sending the
+ * Sync message or not.
  */
-int
+static int
-PQpipelineSync(PGconn *conn)
+pqPipelineSyncInternal(PGconn *conn, bool immediate_flush)
 {
 	PGcmdQueueEntry *entry;
 
@@ -3288,9 +3312,19 @@ PQpipelineSync(PGconn *conn)
 	/*
 	 * Give the data a push.  In nonblock mode, don't complain if we're unable
 	 * to send it all; PQgetResult() will do any additional flushing needed.
+	 * If immediate_flush is disabled, the data is pushed if we are past the
+	 * size threshold.
 	 */
-	if (PQflush(conn) < 0)
+	if (immediate_flush)
+	{
+		if (pqFlush(conn) < 0)
 			goto sendFailed;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		if (pqPipelineFlush(conn) < 0)
+			goto sendFailed;
+	}
 
 	/* OK, it's launched! */
 	pqAppendCmdQueueEntry(conn, entry);

src/interfaces/libpq/libpq-fe.h

@@ -474,6 +474,7 @@ extern int	PQenterPipelineMode(PGconn *conn);
 extern int	PQexitPipelineMode(PGconn *conn);
 extern int	PQpipelineSync(PGconn *conn);
 extern int	PQsendFlushRequest(PGconn *conn);
+extern int	PQsendPipelineSync(PGconn *conn);
 
 /* LISTEN/NOTIFY support */
 extern PGnotify *PQnotifies(PGconn *conn);

src/test/modules/libpq_pipeline/libpq_pipeline.c

@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ test_multi_pipelines(PGconn *conn)
 	if (PQenterPipelineMode(conn) != 1)
 		pg_fatal("failed to enter pipeline mode: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
 
+	/* first pipeline */
 	if (PQsendQueryParams(conn, "SELECT $1", 1, dummy_param_oids,
 						  dummy_params, NULL, NULL, 0) != 1)
 		pg_fatal("dispatching first SELECT failed: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
@@ -169,14 +170,27 @@ test_multi_pipelines(PGconn *conn)
 	if (PQpipelineSync(conn) != 1)
 		pg_fatal("Pipeline sync failed: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
 
+	/* second pipeline */
 	if (PQsendQueryParams(conn, "SELECT $1", 1, dummy_param_oids,
 						  dummy_params, NULL, NULL, 0) != 1)
 		pg_fatal("dispatching second SELECT failed: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
 
+	/* Skip flushing once. */
+	if (PQsendPipelineSync(conn) != 1)
+		pg_fatal("Pipeline sync failed: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
+
+	/* third pipeline */
+	if (PQsendQueryParams(conn, "SELECT $1", 1, dummy_param_oids,
+						  dummy_params, NULL, NULL, 0) != 1)
+		pg_fatal("dispatching third SELECT failed: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
+
 	if (PQpipelineSync(conn) != 1)
 		pg_fatal("pipeline sync failed: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
 
 	/* OK, start processing the results */
+
+	/* first pipeline */
+
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (res == NULL)
 		pg_fatal("PQgetResult returned null when there's a pipeline item: %s",
@@ -214,6 +228,35 @@ test_multi_pipelines(PGconn *conn)
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
 		pg_fatal("Unexpected result code %s from second pipeline item",
 				 PQresStatus(PQresultStatus(res)));
+	PQclear(res);
+	res = NULL;
+
+	if (PQgetResult(conn) != NULL)
+		pg_fatal("PQgetResult returned something extra after first result");
+
+	if (PQexitPipelineMode(conn) != 0)
+		pg_fatal("exiting pipeline mode after query but before sync succeeded incorrectly");
+
+	res = PQgetResult(conn);
+	if (res == NULL)
+		pg_fatal("PQgetResult returned null when sync result expected: %s",
+				 PQerrorMessage(conn));
+
+	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC)
+		pg_fatal("Unexpected result code %s instead of sync result, error: %s",
+				 PQresStatus(PQresultStatus(res)), PQerrorMessage(conn));
+	PQclear(res);
+
+	/* third pipeline */
+
+	res = PQgetResult(conn);
+	if (res == NULL)
+		pg_fatal("PQgetResult returned null when there's a pipeline item: %s",
+				 PQerrorMessage(conn));
+
+	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
+		pg_fatal("Unexpected result code %s from third pipeline item",
+				 PQresStatus(PQresultStatus(res)));
 
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (res != NULL)

src/test/modules/libpq_pipeline/traces/multi_pipelines.trace

@@ -8,6 +8,17 @@ F	19	Bind	 "" "" 0 1 1 '1' 1 0
 F	6	Describe	 P ""
 F	9	Execute	 "" 0
 F	4	Sync
+F	21	Parse	 "" "SELECT $1" 1 NNNN
+F	19	Bind	 "" "" 0 1 1 '1' 1 0
+F	6	Describe	 P ""
+F	9	Execute	 "" 0
+F	4	Sync
+B	4	ParseComplete
+B	4	BindComplete
+B	33	RowDescription	 1 "?column?" NNNN 0 NNNN 4 -1 0
+B	11	DataRow	 1 1 '1'
+B	13	CommandComplete	 "SELECT 1"
+B	5	ReadyForQuery	 I
 B	4	ParseComplete
 B	4	BindComplete
 B	33	RowDescription	 1 "?column?" NNNN 0 NNNN 4 -1 0