[postgis] minor workaround to postgreSQL's user defined VARIABLE length datatype default value bug

[Dave Blasby]

There's a bug in postgresql for variable length user defined types (like
GEOMETRY and WKB).  It sets an invalid default value for the type. 

The recommended work around is to modify postgreSQL's pg_type table and
explicitly tell it use NULL as the default value.

I've added these two lines to the bottom of the postgis.sql.in file in
the CVS version:

update pg_type set typdefault = NULL where  typname = 'wkb';
update pg_type set typdefault = NULL where  typname = 'geometry';

Most people will not be affected by this bug so you can ignore this
message, but I thought I'd mention why those two lines are in the file.

dave
ps.  This is how to reproduce the bug;

create table t (i integer,g geometry);
insert into t values (1);
select * from t;
<server crashes>

The server crashes because it actually put an invalid value in the
GEOMETRY column during the insert (its an '-'::text) and postgis doesnt
know what do with it.

Want more info?  Check out the postgresql hacker's mailing list.

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