Geometry constructors fail from empty geometries

[Paco Calvo]

Using PostGIS 1.5.1 on PostgreSQL 8.4.

Geometry constructors from text for empty geometries return always an empty geometry collection. Example:

select st_astext(st_geometryfromtext('POLYGON EMPTY')), st_astext(st_geomfromEWKT('srid=4230;POLYGON EMPTY'))

"GEOMETRYCOLLECTION EMPTY";"GEOMETRYCOLLECTION EMPTY"

[pramsey]

This is by design. PostGIS 2.0 will support typed EMPTY geometries, but prior to that typed empties get coerced into GEOMETRYCOLLECTION EMPTY.

[Paco Calvo]

Thank you very much for the explanation.