apache / apache/datafusion-sqlparser-rs

Bitwise `&` and `->` group differently in the PostgreSQL and MySQL/Generic dialects

Open Beginner friendly
#2,461 2 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
Dominant language
Rust
Stars
3.5k
Forks
772
Avg merge
4d 9h
Merged PRs (30d)
17

Description

`&` and `->` have the same precedence in PostgreSQL but not in the default precedence table, so the
same expression produces two different trees depending on dialect:

| SQL | `PostgreSqlDialect` | `MySqlDialect` / `GenericDialect` |
|---|---|---|
| `a -> b & c` | `((a -> b) & c)` | `(a -> (b & c))` |
| `a -> b \| c` | `((a -> b) \| c)` | `((a -> b) \| c)` |
| `a -> b ^ c` | `(a -> (b ^ c))` | `(a -> (b ^ c))` |
| `a -> b + c` | `(a -> (b + c))` | `(a -> (b + c))` |

`&` is the only row that disagrees.

### Cause

The default table in `src/dialect/mod.rs` has:

```rust
Precedence::Ampersand => 23,
Precedence::Caret => 22,
Precedence::Pipe => 21,
Precedence::Colon => 21,
Precedence::PgOther => 21,
```

`PostgreSqlDialect::prec_value` instead maps `Ampersand`, `Pipe`, `Colon` and `PgOther` all to
`PG_OTHER_PREC` (`src/dialect/postgresql.rs:176-184`), which matches `gram.y`, where `&` is just a
generic `Op` and shares one left-associative level with `->`:

```
%left Op OPERATOR RIGHT_ARROW '|'
```

So `Pipe` already agrees with `PgOther` in the default table (both 21), and `Caret` is legitimately
above it, but `Ampersand` at 23 is left as the sole outlier.

### Candidate fix

```diff
- Precedence::Ampersand => 23,
+ Precedence::Ampersand => 21,
```

The full suite passes unchanged with that applied, so no existing test pins the current grouping —
which is also why this went unnoticed. `Display` for `Expr::BinaryOp` emits no parentheses, so a
mis-grouped tree round-trips to the original SQL and `verified_expr` / `verified_stmt` cannot catch
it; a test would have to assert on the tree.

### Open question, possibly a separate issue

For MySQL the fix above is necessary but not sufficient. MySQL's `->` / `->>` take a quoted JSON path
on the right-hand side, so there is nothing for MySQL to resolve — `col->'$.a' + 1` can only mean
`(col->'$.a') + 1`. sqlparser parses that right operand as a full expression at `PgOther`, giving
`col -> ('$.a' + 1)`, so `->` under-binds in MySQL against `+`, `*`, `^` and friends, not just `&`.
Making that correct probably means a MySQL-specific precedence for the arrow operators rather than
another adjustment to the shared row, so I've kept it out of scope here — happy to split it out if
a maintainer would prefer it tracked separately.

Surfaced while working on #2436. Related: #2460.

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

Research direction

Start in src/dialect/mod.rs with the default precedence table, then compare it with PostgreSqlDialect::prec_value in src/dialect/postgresql.rs:176-184 and the PostgreSQL gram.y rule cited in the issue. Add a tree-level regression test for `a -> b & c`, since SQL round-trip tests cannot detect the grouping, and run the full suite to verify the change.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
mysql, postgresql, rust
Domain
compilers, databases
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
78/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.