sql: do not collect stats for virtual columns

Previously, incorrect stats were collected for virtual computed columns.
This was because DistSQLPlanner plans table readers on the table's
primary index which does not include virtual computed columns.

These stats were likely never used by the optimizer where all stats
originate from Scans. Scans only produce stats for the columns they
produce and Scans cannot produce virtual columns. So even though stats
for virtual columns were collected, they never propagated through
statistics estimation.

This commit disables stats collection for virtual columns to avoid
confusion and future bugs resulting from incorrect stats.

Fixes cockroachdb#68186

Release note: None

pkg/sql/create_stats.go

@@ -335,12 +335,25 @@ func createStatsDefaultColumns(
 	// addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists appends column stats for the given column
 	// ID if they have not already been added. Histogram stats are collected for
 	// every indexed column.
-	addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists := func(colID descpb.ColumnID, isInverted bool) {
+	addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists := func(colID descpb.ColumnID, isInverted bool) error {
+		col, err := desc.FindColumnWithID(colID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// Do not collect stats for virtual computed columns. DistSQLPlanner
+		// cannot currently collect stats for these columns because it plans
+		// table readers on the table's primary index which does not include
+		// virtual computed columns.
+		if col.IsVirtual() {
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		colList := []descpb.ColumnID{colID}
 
 		// Check for existing stats and remember the requested stats.
 		if !trackStatsIfNotExists(colList) {
-			return
+			return nil
 		}
 
 		colStat := jobspb.CreateStatsDetails_ColStat{
@@ -360,12 +373,18 @@ func createStatsDefaultColumns(
 			colStat.HasHistogram = true
 			colStats = append(colStats, colStat)
 		}
+
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	// Add column stats for the primary key.
-	for i := 0; i < desc.GetPrimaryIndex().NumColumns(); i++ {
+	primaryIdx := desc.GetPrimaryIndex()
+	for i := 0; i < primaryIdx.NumColumns(); i++ {
 		// Generate stats for each column in the primary key.
-		addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists(desc.GetPrimaryIndex().GetColumnID(i), false /* isInverted */)
+		err := addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists(primaryIdx.GetColumnID(i), false /* isInverted */)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 
 		// Only collect multi-column stats if enabled.
 		if i == 0 || !multiColEnabled {
@@ -394,7 +413,9 @@ func createStatsDefaultColumns(
 			isInverted := idx.GetType() == descpb.IndexDescriptor_INVERTED && colID == idx.InvertedColumnID()
 
 			// Generate stats for each indexed column.
-			addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists(colID, isInverted)
+			if err := addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists(colID, isInverted); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 
 			// Only collect multi-column stats if enabled.
 			if j == 0 || !multiColEnabled {
@@ -438,7 +459,9 @@ func createStatsDefaultColumns(
 					return nil, err
 				}
 				isInverted := colinfo.ColumnTypeIsInvertedIndexable(col.GetType())
-				addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists(colID, isInverted)
+				if err := addIndexColumnStatsIfNotExists(colID, isInverted); err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -447,6 +470,12 @@ func createStatsDefaultColumns(
 	nonIdxCols := 0
 	for i := 0; i < len(desc.PublicColumns()) && nonIdxCols < maxNonIndexCols; i++ {
 		col := desc.PublicColumns()[i]
+
+		// Do not collect stats for virtual computed columns.
+		if col.IsVirtual() {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		colList := []descpb.ColumnID{col.GetID()}
 
 		if !trackStatsIfNotExists(colList) {

pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/distsql_stats

@@ -823,6 +823,36 @@ upper_bound  range_rows  distinct_range_rows  equal_rows
 2            0           0                    1
 3            0           0                    1
 
+# Test that stats are not collected for virtual columns.
+statement ok
+CREATE TABLE virt (
+  a INT,
+  v INT AS (a + 10) VIRTUAL,
+  INDEX (v)
+)
+
+statement ok
+INSERT INTO virt VALUES (1), (2), (3)
+
+statement ok
+CREATE STATISTICS s FROM virt
+
+query TTIIB colnames,rowsort
+SELECT
+  statistics_name,
+  column_names,
+  row_count,
+  null_count,
+  histogram_id IS NOT NULL AS has_histogram
+FROM
+  [SHOW STATISTICS FOR TABLE virt]
+ORDER BY
+  column_names::STRING, created
+----
+statistics_name  column_names  row_count  null_count  has_histogram
+s                {a}           3          0           true
+s                {rowid}       3          0           true
+
 # Test that non-index columns have histograms collected for them, with
 # up to 2 buckets.
 statement ok