Removes or minimizes some documentation mentions of backward

compatibility for release 7.2 and earlier.  I have not altered any
mentions of release 7.3 or later.  The release notes were not modified,
so the changes are still documented, just not in the main docs.

14 files changed, 61 insertions, 190 deletions

diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/array.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/array.sgml
index 9377692953..0a8ebc077f 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/array.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/array.sgml
@@ -559,8 +559,7 @@ SELECT * FROM sal_emp WHERE 10000 = ALL (pay_by_quarter);
    embedded in element values will be backslash-escaped.  For numeric
    data types it is safe to assume that double quotes will never appear, but
    for textual data types one should be prepared to cope with either presence
-   or absence of quotes.  (This is a change in behavior from pre-7.2
-   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> releases.)
+   or absence of quotes.
   </para>
 
   <para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
index e7bde3c68c..4ad9cd20af 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/backup.sgml
@@ -1211,8 +1211,8 @@ restore_command = 'copy /mnt/server/archivedir/%f "%p"'  # Windows
    the number after the first dot changes). This does not apply to
    different minor releases under the same major release (where the
    number after the second dot changes); these always have compatible
-   storage formats. For example, releases 7.0.1, 7.1.2, and 7.2 are
-   not compatible, whereas 7.1.1 and 7.1.2 are. When you update
+   storage formats. For example, releases 7.2.1, 7.3.2, and 7.4 are
+   not compatible, whereas 7.2.1 and 7.2.2 are. When you update
    between compatible versions, you can simply replace the executables
    and reuse the data directory on disk. Otherwise you need to back
    up your data and restore it on the new server.  This has to be done
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
index 29cd3c416d..b192168dfd 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
@@ -3789,14 +3789,11 @@ dynamic_library_path = 'C:\tools\postgresql;H:\my_project\lib;$libdir'
       <indexterm><primary>inheritance</></>
       <listitem>
        <para>
-        This controls the inheritance semantics, in particular whether
-        subtables are included by various commands by default. They were
-        not included in versions prior to 7.1. If you need the old
-        behavior you can set this variable to <literal>off</>, but in
-        the long run you are encouraged to change your applications to
-        use the <literal>ONLY</literal> key word to exclude subtables.
-        See <xref linkend="ddl-inherit"> for more information about
-        inheritance.
+        This controls the inheritance semantics.  If turned <literal>off</>,
+        subtables are not included by various commands by default; basically
+        an implied <literal>ONLY</literal> key word.  This was added for 
+        compatibility with releases prior to 7.1.  See
+        <xref linkend="ddl-inherit"> for more information.
        </para>
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml
index b25836e508..5e6fe51dda 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml
@@ -894,22 +894,14 @@ CREATE TABLE <replaceable class="parameter">tablename</replaceable> (
     string.
    </para>
 
-    <para>
-     If one explicitly casts a value to <type>character
-     varying(<replaceable>n</>)</type> or
-     <type>character(<replaceable>n</>)</type>, then an over-length
-     value will be truncated to <replaceable>n</> characters without
-     raising an error. (This too is required by the
-     <acronym>SQL</acronym> standard.)
-    </para>
-
-   <note>
-    <para>
-     Prior to <productname>PostgreSQL</> 7.2, strings that were too long were
-     always truncated without raising an error, in either explicit or
-     implicit casting contexts.
-    </para>
-   </note>
+   <para>
+    If one explicitly casts a value to <type>character
+    varying(<replaceable>n</>)</type> or
+    <type>character(<replaceable>n</>)</type>, then an over-length
+    value will be truncated to <replaceable>n</> characters without
+    raising an error. (This too is required by the
+    <acronym>SQL</acronym> standard.)
+   </para>
 
    <para>
     The notations <type>varchar(<replaceable>n</>)</type> and
@@ -2899,15 +2891,6 @@ SELECT * FROM test1 WHERE a;
     </para>
    </note>
 
-   <note>
-    <para>
-     Prior to <productname>PostgreSQL</> 7.2, <type>bit</type> data
-     was always silently truncated or zero-padded on the right, with
-     or without an explicit cast. This was changed to comply with the
-     <acronym>SQL</acronym> standard.
-    </para>
-   </note>
-
    <para>
     Refer to <xref
     linkend="sql-syntax-bit-strings"> for information about the syntax
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/datetime.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/datetime.sgml
index 7cd8758310..1b071e5bac 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/datetime.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/datetime.sgml
@@ -171,10 +171,7 @@
       <tip>
        <para>
         Gregorian years AD 1-99 may be entered by using 4 digits with leading
-        zeros (e.g., <literal>0099</> is AD 99). Previous versions of
-        <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> accepted years with three
-        digits and with single digits, but as of version 7.0 the rules have
-        been tightened up to reduce the possibility of ambiguity.
+        zeros (e.g., <literal>0099</> is AD 99).
        </para>
       </tip>
      </para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ddl.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ddl.sgml
index d8f827181f..6b18203cdb 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ddl.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ddl.sgml
@@ -2145,21 +2145,11 @@ VALUES ('New York', NULL, NULL, 'NY');
   <note>
    <title>Deprecated</title>
    <para>
-     In previous versions of <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>, the
+     In releases of <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> prior to 7.1, the
      default behavior was not to include child tables in queries. This was
-     found to be error prone and is also in violation of the SQL
-     standard. Under the old syntax, to include the child tables you append
-     <literal>*</literal> to the table name. For example:
-<programlisting>
-SELECT * from cities*;
-</programlisting>
-     You can still explicitly specify scanning child tables by
-     appending <literal>*</literal>, as well as explicitly specify not
-     scanning child tables by writing <literal>ONLY</literal>.  But
-     beginning in version 7.1, the default behavior for an undecorated
-     table name is to scan its child tables too, whereas before the
-     default was not to do so.  To get the old default behavior,
-     disable the <xref linkend="guc-sql-inheritance"> configuration
+     found to be error prone and also in violation of the SQL
+     standard.  You can get the pre-7.1 behavior by turning off the
+     <xref linkend="guc-sql-inheritance"> configuration
      option.
    </para>
   </note>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
index 0942d90185..309436f5a8 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
@@ -6118,14 +6118,6 @@ LOCALTIMESTAMP (<replaceable>precision</replaceable>)
      the result is given to the full available precision.
     </para>
 
-    <note>
-     <para>
-      Prior to <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 7.2, the precision
-      parameters were unimplemented, and the result was always given
-      in integer seconds.
-     </para>
-    </note>
-
    <para>
     Some examples:
 <screen>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml
index a154435012..8499847d45 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml
@@ -686,14 +686,10 @@ PostgresPollingStatusType PQresetPoll(PGconn *conn);
 <indexterm><primary>libpq-int.h</></>
 <application>libpq</application> application programmers should be careful to
 maintain the <structname>PGconn</structname> abstraction.  Use the accessor
-functions described below to get
-at the contents of <structname>PGconn</structname>.  Avoid directly referencing the fields of the
-<structname>PGconn</> structure because they are subject to change in the future.
-(Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> release 6.4, the
-definition of the <type>struct</type> behind <structname>PGconn</> is not even provided in <filename>libpq-fe.h</filename>.
-If you have old code that accesses <structname>PGconn</structname> fields directly, you can keep using it
-by including <filename>libpq-int.h</filename> too, but you are encouraged to fix the code
-soon.)
+functions described below to get at the contents of <structname>PGconn</structname>.
+Reference to internal <structname>PGconn</structname> fields using 
+<filename>libpq-int.h</> is not recommended because they are subject to change
+in the future.
 </para>
 </tip>
 
@@ -2972,7 +2968,7 @@ PGnotify *PQnotifies(PGconn *conn);
 
 typedef struct pgNotify {
     char *relname;              /* notification condition name */
-    int  be_pid;                /* process ID of server process */
+    int  be_pid;                /* process ID of notifying server process */
     char *extra;                /* notification parameter */
 } PGnotify;
 </synopsis>
@@ -2986,14 +2982,6 @@ do not represent separate allocations.
 always point to an empty string.)
 </para>
 
-<note>
-<para>
- In <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 6.4 and later,
- the <structfield>be_pid</structfield> is that of the notifying server process,
- whereas in earlier versions it was always the <acronym>PID</acronym> of your own server process.
-</para>
-</note>
-
 <para>
 <xref linkend="libpq-example-2"> gives a sample program that illustrates the use
 of asynchronous notification.
@@ -4288,16 +4276,6 @@ testlibpq.o(.text+0xa4): undefined reference to `PQerrorMessage'
    </itemizedlist>
   </para>
 
-  <para>
-   <indexterm><primary>libpq-int.h</></>
-   If your codes references the header file
-   <filename>libpq-int.h</filename> and you refuse to fix your code to
-   not use it, starting in <productname>PostgreSQL</> 7.2, this file will be found in
-   <filename><replaceable>includedir</replaceable>/postgresql/internal/libpq-int.h</filename>,
-   so you need to add the appropriate <option>-I</option> option to
-   your compiler command line.
-  </para>
-
  </sect1>
 
 
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/lobj.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/lobj.sgml
index 113eb6076e..99dbe63474 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/lobj.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/lobj.sgml
@@ -25,43 +25,26 @@
     values.  This is not described here.
    </para>
 
-  <sect1 id="lo-history">
-   <title>History</title>
+  <sect1 id="lo-intro">
+   <title>Introduction</title>
 
-   <para>
-    <productname>POSTGRES 4.2</productname>, the indirect predecessor
-    of <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>, supported three standard
-    implementations of large objects: as files external to the
-    <productname>POSTGRES</productname> server, as external files
-    managed by the <productname>POSTGRES</productname> server, and as
-    data stored within the <productname>POSTGRES</productname>
-    database. This caused considerable confusion among users. As a
-    result, only support for large objects as data stored within the
-    database is retained in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>.
-    Even though this is slower to access, it provides stricter data
-    integrity.  For historical reasons, this storage scheme is
-    referred to as <firstterm>Inversion large
-    objects</firstterm>. (You will see the term Inversion used
-    occasionally to mean the same thing as large object.)  Since
-    <productname>PostgreSQL 7.1</productname>, all large objects are
-    placed in one system table called
-    <classname>pg_largeobject</classname>.
-   </para>
+   <indexterm>
+    <primary>TOAST</primary>
+    <secondary>versus large objects</secondary>
+   </indexterm>
 
    <para>
-    <indexterm>
-     <primary>TOAST</primary>
-     <secondary>versus large objects</secondary>
-    </indexterm>
-    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 7.1 introduced a mechanism
-    (nicknamed <quote><acronym>TOAST</acronym></quote>) that allows
-    data values to be much larger than single pages.  This
-    makes the large object facility partially obsolete.  One
+    All large objects are placed in a single system table called
+    <classname>pg_largeobject</classname>.
+    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> also supports a storage system called
+    <quote><acronym>TOAST</acronym></quote> that automatically stores values
+    larger than a single database page into a secondary storage area per table.
+    This makes the large object facility partially obsolete.  One
     remaining advantage of the large object facility is that it allows values
     up to 2 GB in size, whereas <acronym>TOAST</acronym>ed fields can be at
-    most 1 GB.  Also, large objects can be manipulated piece-by-piece much more
-    easily than ordinary data fields, so the practical limits are considerably
-    different.
+    most 1 GB.  Also, large objects can be randomly modified using a read/write 
+    API that is more efficient than performing such operations using
+    <acronym>TOAST</acronym>.
    </para>
 
   </sect1>
@@ -70,8 +53,8 @@
    <title>Implementation Features</title>
 
    <para>
-    The large object implementation breaks  large
-    objects  up  into  <quote>chunks</quote>  and  stores  the chunks in
+    The large object implementation breaks large
+    objects up into <quote>chunks</quote> and stores the chunks in
     rows in the database.  A B-tree index guarantees fast
     searches for the correct chunk number when doing random
     access reads and writes.
@@ -86,10 +69,7 @@
     <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> client interface libraries
     provide for accessing large objects.  All large object
     manipulation using these functions <emphasis>must</emphasis> take
-    place within an SQL transaction block.  (This requirement is
-    strictly enforced as of <productname>PostgreSQL 6.5</>, though it
-    has been an implicit requirement in previous versions, resulting
-    in misbehavior if ignored.)
+    place within an SQL transaction block.
     The  <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>  large  object interface is modeled after
     the <acronym>Unix</acronym>  file-system  interface,  with  analogues  of
     <function>open</function>,  <function>read</function>,
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
index 209d51c477..31e2bc88c3 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/maintenance.sgml
@@ -82,15 +82,9 @@
   </para>
 
   <para>
-   Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 7.2, the standard form
-   of <command>VACUUM</> can run in parallel with normal database operations
-   (selects, inserts, updates, deletes, but not changes to table definitions).
-   Routine vacuuming is therefore not nearly as intrusive as it was in prior
-   releases, and it is not as critical to try to schedule it at low-usage
-   times of day.
-  </para>
-
-  <para>
+   The standard form of <command>VACUUM</> can run in parallel with 
+   normal database operations (SELECTs, INSERTs, UPDATEs, DELETEs, but not 
+   changes to table definitions).
    Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 8.0, there are
    configuration parameters that can be adjusted to further reduce the
    performance impact of background vacuuming.  See
@@ -245,12 +239,9 @@
     It is possible to run <command>ANALYZE</> on specific tables and even
     just specific columns of a table, so the flexibility exists to update some
     statistics more frequently than others if your application requires it.
-    In practice, however, the usefulness of this feature is doubtful.
-    Beginning in <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 7.2,
-    <command>ANALYZE</> is a fairly fast operation even on large tables,
-    because it uses a statistical random sampling of the rows of a table
-    rather than reading every single row.  So it's probably much simpler
-    to just run it over the whole database every so often.
+    In practice, however, it is usually best to just analyze the entire database
+    because it is a fast operation.  It uses a statistical random sampling of 
+    the rows of a table rather than reading every single row.
    </para>
 
    <tip>
@@ -295,18 +286,8 @@
     transactions that were in the past appear to be in the future &mdash; which
     means their outputs become invisible.  In short, catastrophic data loss.
     (Actually the data is still there, but that's cold comfort if you can't
-    get at it.)
-   </para>
-
-   <para>
-    Prior to <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 7.2, the only defense
-    against XID wraparound was to re-<command>initdb</> at least every 4
-    billion transactions. This of course was not very satisfactory for
-    high-traffic sites, so a better solution has been devised. The new
-    approach allows a server to remain up indefinitely, without
-    <command>initdb</> or any sort of restart. The price is this
-    maintenance requirement: <emphasis>every table in the database must
-    be vacuumed at least once every billion transactions</emphasis>.
+    get at it.)  To avoid this, it is <emphasis>necessary to vacuum every table
+    in every database at least once every billion transactions</emphasis>.
    </para>
 
    <para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/mvcc.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/mvcc.sgml
index 6c1c581b34..4af1ae2691 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/mvcc.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/mvcc.sgml
@@ -899,10 +899,6 @@ UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - 100.00 WHERE acctnum = 22222;
     TABLE</command> locks the whole table.)  This should be taken into
     account when porting applications to
     <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> from other environments.
-    (Before version 6.5 <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> used
-    read locks, and so this above consideration is also relevant when
-    upgrading from <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> versions
-    prior to 6.5.)
    </para>
 
    <para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml
index 7a26622e90..9a782ff07b 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/rules.sgml
@@ -2043,10 +2043,7 @@ Nestloop
 <para>
     Another situation is cases on <command>UPDATE</command> where it depends on the
     change of an attribute if an action should be performed or
-    not. In <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> version 6.4, the
-    attribute specification for rule events is disabled (it will have
-    its comeback latest in 6.5, maybe earlier 
-    - stay tuned). So for now the only way to
+    not. The only way to
     create a rule as in the shoelace_log example is to do it with
     a rule qualification. That results in an extra query that is
     performed always, even if the attribute of interest cannot
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/storage.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/storage.sgml
index 22b4a51210..5005790ca8 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/storage.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/storage.sgml
@@ -187,15 +187,13 @@ Oversized-Attribute Storage Technique).
 </para>
 
 <para>
-Since <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> uses a fixed page size (commonly
-8Kb), and does not allow tuples to span multiple pages, it's not possible to
-store very large field values directly.  Before <productname>PostgreSQL</> 7.1
-there was a hard limit of just under one page on the total amount of data that
-could be put into a table row.  In release 7.1 and later, this limit is
-overcome by allowing large field values to be compressed and/or broken up into
-multiple physical rows.  This happens transparently to the user, with only
-small impact on most of the backend code.  The technique is affectionately
-known as <acronym>TOAST</> (or <quote>the best thing since sliced bread</>).
+<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> uses a fixed page size (commonly
+8Kb), and does not allow tuples to span multiple pages.  Therefore,  it is
+not possible to store very large field values directly.  To overcome 
+this limitation, large  field values are compressed and/or broken up into
+multiple physical rows. This happens transparently to the user, with only
+small impact on most of the backend code.  The technique is affectionately 
+known as <acronym>TOAST</>  (or <quote>the best thing since sliced bread</>).
 </para>
 
 <para>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/xfunc.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/xfunc.sgml
index 4bc418690e..3ba7aaeb34 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/xfunc.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/xfunc.sgml
@@ -1192,15 +1192,6 @@ CREATE FUNCTION square_root(double precision) RETURNS double precision
     command <literal>pg_config --pkglibdir</literal>.
    </para>
 
-   <para>
-    Before <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> release 7.2, only
-    exact absolute paths to object files could be specified in
-    <command>CREATE FUNCTION</>.  This approach is now deprecated
-    since it makes the function definition unnecessarily unportable.
-    It's best to specify just the shared library name with no path nor
-    extension, and let the search mechanism provide that information
-    instead.
-   </para>
   </sect2>
 
    <sect2 id="xfunc-c-basetype">
@@ -1915,15 +1906,7 @@ concat_text(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
         --includedir-server</literal><indexterm><primary>pg_config</><secondary>with user-defined C functions</></>
         to find out where the <productname>PostgreSQL</> server header
         files are installed on your system (or the system that your
-        users will be running on).  This option is new with
-        <productname>PostgreSQL</> 7.2.  For
-        <productname>PostgreSQL</> 7.1 you should use the option
-        <option>--includedir</option>.  (<command>pg_config</command>
-        will exit with a non-zero status if it encounters an unknown
-        option.)  For releases prior to 7.1 you will have to guess,
-        but since that was before the current calling conventions were
-        introduced, it is unlikely that you want to support those
-        releases.
+        users will be running on).
        </para>
       </listitem>