I figured it out.  The first thing the code does is set the state to xm
(BEGIN (xm)).  If you look in the comments at the top, Tom Lane put these in
to deal with numeric strings with embedded minuses.  Tom, can you give us a
run-down of what the problem was that required this stuff.  Perhaps if we
can find another way around it, we can reduce the vltc's

Thanks...

MikeA

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Leon [mailto:leon@udmnet.ru]
>> Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 11:36 AM
>> To: hackers
>> Subject: Re: [HACKERS] Postgres' lexer
>> 
>> 
>> Ansley, Michael wrote:
>> ...
>> > >> And what this stands for:
>> > >>
>> > >> {identifier}/{space}*-{number}
>> > An identifier followed by any number of spaces, and then a 
>> minus, or a
>> > number.  Again, double check this with a reference of some sorts.
>> 
>> Well, I studied flex manpage from top to bottom, and almost 
>> everything
>> in Postgres's lexer makes sense. But these "followed by spaces and a
>> queer minused number" do not. Can someone tell me what do these 
>> minused single - digit numbers stand for?
>> 
>> -- 
>> Leon.
>> ---------
>> "This may seem a bit weird, but that's okay, because it is weird." -
>> Perl manpage.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ************
>> 

Fri, 20 Aug 1999 12:36:53 +0200
"Ansley, Michael" <Michael.Ansley@intec.co.za>
RE: [HACKERS] Postgres' lexer