postgresql multi join syntax - postgresql

Question

SELECT sessions_compare.*
FROM archive_sessions as f_session, sessions_compare
LEFT JOIN archive_sessions as s_session ON (s_session.id = sessions_compare.second_session_id)
LEFT JOIN consols as f_consol ON (f_session.console_id = f_consol.id)
where sessions_compare.first_session_id = f_session.id
after executing a get error like
ERROR: invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table "f_session"
LINE 13:
LEFT JOIN consols as f_consol ON (f_session.console_id
=...
HINT: There is an entry for table "f_session", but it cannot be referenced from this
part of the query.
When i switch places and have from like sessions_compare, archive_sessions as f_session
i get error like
ERROR: invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table
"sessions_compare"
LINE 4: ... archive_sessions as s_session ON
(s_session.id = sessions_c...
HINT: There is an entry for table "sessions_compare", but it cannot be
referenced from this part of the query.
And only thing that work is
SELECT sessions_compare.*
FROM sessions_compare
LEFT JOIN archive_sessions as s_session ON (s_session.id = sessions_compare.second_session_id)
,archive_sessions as f_session
LEFT JOIN consols as f_consol ON (f_session.console_id = f_consol.id)
where sessions_compare.first_session_id = f_session.id
And my question is it normal ?? Im young in Postgresql in mysql when using multiple join from tables needed to be in ()

Answer 1

Yes, that's documented behavior in PostgreSQL.
In any case JOIN binds more tightly than the commas separating FROM items.
That means PostgreSQL acts like it builds its working table by evaluating the JOIN clauses before evaluating a comma-list in the FROM clause.
Best practice is generally considered to be to always use JOIN clauses; never put more than one table name in the FROM clause.

Answer 2

Changing the main query to a JOIN (and adding/shortening some correlation names) seems to fix the problem.
DROP SCHEMA fuzz CASCADE;
CREATE SCHEMA fuzz;
SET search_path='fuzz';
create table archive_sessions ( id INTEGER NOT NULL
, console_id INTEGER NOT NULL, game_id INTEGER NOT NULL);
create table sessions_compare (first_session_id INTEGER NOT NULL
, second_session_id INTEGER NOT NULL);
create table consols (id INTEGER NOT NULL);
create table games (id INTEGER NOT NULL);
create table localizations ( consols_id INTEGER NOT NULL, bars_id INTEGER NOT NULL);
create table bars ( id_bars INTEGER NOT NULL, area_id INTEGER NOT NULL);
create table areas ( id_areas INTEGER NOT NULL );
SELECT sco.*
FROM archive_sessions as ase
JOIN sessions_compare sco ON sco.first_session_id = ase.id
LEFT JOIN archive_sessions as ss ON (ss.id = sco.second_session_id)
LEFT JOIN consols as sc ON (ss.console_id = sc.id)
LEFT JOIN games as sg ON (ss.game_id = sg.id)
LEFT JOIN localizations as sl ON (sc.id = sl.consols_id)
LEFT JOIN bars as sb ON (sl.bars_id = sb.id_bars)
LEFT JOIN areas as sa ON (sb.area_id = sa.id_areas)
LEFT JOIN consols as fc ON (ase.console_id = fc.id)
LEFT JOIN games as fg ON (ase.game_id = fg.id)
LEFT JOIN localizations as fl ON (fc.id = fl.consols_id)
LEFT JOIN bars as fb ON (fl.bars_id = fb.id_bars)
LEFT JOIN areas as fa ON (fb.area_id = fa.id_areas)
-- WHERE sco.first_session_id = ase.id
;