Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql,v
diff -u -r1.15 -r1.16
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql	29 Nov 2001 22:19:47 -0000	1.15
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-kernel/sql/postgresql/postgresql.sql	30 Nov 2001 00:50:22 -0000	1.16
@@ -513,22 +513,27 @@
 
 end;' language 'plpgsql' with (iscachable);
 
--- DRB: Use tree_left() and tree_right() to do selects against
--- tree_sortkey.
+-- DRB: Use tree_right() to do selects against tree_sortkey.  LIKE with
+-- a non-constant right-hand operand never uses an index.  The following
+-- queries will use an index and run much faster.
 
--- To find a node's children in "t":
--- tree_sortkey between tree_left(t.tree_sortkey) and tree_right(t.tree_sortkey)
-
 -- To get the children and the node (i.e. the subtree starting with the node):
+
 -- tree_sortkey between t.tree_sortkey and tree_right(t.tree_sortkey)
 
-create function tree_left(varchar) returns varchar as '
-declare
-  p_tree_sortkey alias for $1;
-begin
-  return p_tree_sortkey;
-end;' language 'plpgsql' with (iscachable);
+-- To find a node's children in "t":
 
+-- tree_sortkey between t.tree_sortkey and tree_right(t.tree_sortkey) and
+-- tree_sortkey <> t.tree_sortkey
+
+-- A directly executed query like this
+
+-- tree_sortkey between t.tree_sortkey || chr(0) and tree_right(t.tree_sortkey)
+
+-- works but the trailing chr(0) disappears if you put the concat in a 
+-- PL/pgSQL function.  In fact the inline expression might well be considered a
+-- bug and fixed by the PG team in the future so we shouldn't depend on it.
+
 create function tree_right(varchar) returns varchar as '
 declare
   p_tree_sortkey alias for $1;