I have a table called "points" with a column called "geom" of type geometry.
I want to create a function that returns a table with a column of "geometry" data type. I have been successful in returning a table with my the correct data type when the name of the target table (points) is hardcoded in the "RETURN QUERY" clause.
I want to have the name of the table as an input of the function (in a dynamic way). How can I change this code to accept the name of the target table (called points in this code) as an input?
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION milad_points()
RETURNS TABLE (geom points.geom%TYPE)
AS $$
BEGIN
RETURN QUERY SELECT points.geom FROM points;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE PLPGSQL;
I know that for managing the dynamic queries we have to make it as a string and run it as EXECUTE sql_string. However, I could not get it work in the above-mentioned example.
The only way to do something like that is to use the anyelement data type.
But in order to use anyelement as a return type, you have to specify an anyelement parameter too. It is not important what value you use as argument, but its data type determines the actual data type returned.
See the following example:
CREATE FUNCTION anyfun(tabname name, typdef anyelement) RETURNS SETOF anyelement
LANGUAGE plpgsql STABLE AS
$$BEGIN
RETURN QUERY EXECUTE format('SELECT id FROM %I', tabname);
END;$$;
Now let's test it with two different tables:
CREATE TABLE anytab (id integer);
INSERT INTO anytab VALUES (1), (42);
SELECT * FROM anyfun('anytab', NULL::integer);
anyfun
--------
1
42
(2 rows)
CREATE TABLE anothertab (id text);
INSERT INTO anothertab VALUES ('one'), ('two');
SELECT * FROM anyfun('anothertab', NULL::text);
anyfun
--------
one
two
(2 rows)
Related
I'm new to databases and SQL and i've been messing around with functions on POSTGRESQL and I made a simple function to select all names from a table.
But the function, when called, returns just a single row as opposed to all rows being returned when i use SELECT c_name FROM customers; instead of the code shown below:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_cust_names()
RETURNS varchar AS
$body$
SELECT c_name FROM customers;
$body$
LANGUAGE SQL
Function call
SELECT get_cust_names()
this returns just a SINGLE row and this isnt code that i will use in a project etc. I'm just curious as to why postgresql behaves this way.
You need to declare the function as returns table(..) or returns setof
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_cust_names()
RETURNS table(cust_name varchar)
AS
$body$
SELECT c_name
FROM customers;
$body$
LANGUAGE SQL;
Then use it like a table:
select *
from get_cust_names();
I have a table that looks like this:
CREATE TABLE label (
hid UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT UUID_GENERATE_V4(),
name TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE
);
I want to create a function that takes a list of names and inserts multiple rows into the table, ignoring duplicate names, and returns an array of the IDs generated for the rows it inserted.
This works:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION insert_label(nms TEXT[])
RETURNS UUID[]
AS $$
DECLARE
ids UUID[];
BEGIN
CREATE TEMP TABLE tmp_names(name TEXT);
INSERT INTO tmp_names SELECT UNNEST(nms);
WITH new_names AS (
INSERT INTO label(name)
SELECT tn.name
FROM tmp_names tn
WHERE NOT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM label h WHERE h.name = tn.name)
RETURNING hid
)
SELECT ARRAY_AGG(hid) INTO ids
FROM new_names;
DROP TABLE tmp_names;
RETURN ids;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE PLPGSQL;
I have many tables with the exact same columns as the label table, so I would like to have a function that can insert into any of them. I'd like to create a dynamic query to do that. I tried that, but this does not work:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION insert_label(h_tbl REGCLASS, nms TEXT[])
RETURNS UUID[]
AS $$
DECLARE
ids UUID[];
query_str TEXT;
BEGIN
CREATE TEMP TABLE tmp_names(name TEXT);
INSERT INTO tmp_names SELECT UNNEST(nms);
query_str := FORMAT('WITH new_names AS ( INSERT INTO %1$I(name) SELECT tn.name FROM tmp_names tn WHERE NOT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM %1$I h WHERE h.name = tn.name) RETURNING hid)', h_tbl);
EXECUTE query_str;
SELECT ARRAY_AGG(hid) INTO ids FROM new_names;
DROP TABLE tmp_names;
RETURN ids;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE PLPGSQL;
This is the output I get when I run that function:
psql=# select insert_label('label', array['how', 'now', 'brown', 'cow']);
ERROR: syntax error at end of input
LINE 1: ...SELECT 1 FROM label h WHERE h.name = tn.name) RETURNING hid)
^
QUERY: WITH new_names AS ( INSERT INTO label(name) SELECT tn.name FROM tmp_names tn WHERE NOT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM label h WHERE h.name = tn.name) RETURNING hid)
CONTEXT: PL/pgSQL function insert_label(regclass,text[]) line 19 at EXECUTE
The query generated by the dynamic SQL looks like it should be exactly the same as the query from static SQL.
I got the function to work by changing the return value from an array of UUIDs to a table of UUIDs and not using CTE:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION insert_label(h_tbl REGCLASS, nms TEXT[])
RETURNS TABLE (hid UUID)
AS $$
DECLARE
query_str TEXT;
BEGIN
CREATE TEMP TABLE tmp_names(name TEXT);
INSERT INTO tmp_names SELECT UNNEST(nms);
query_str := FORMAT('INSERT INTO %1$I(name) SELECT tn.name FROM tmp_names tn WHERE NOT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM %1$I h WHERE h.name = tn.name) RETURNING hid', h_tbl);
RETURN QUERY EXECUTE query_str;
DROP TABLE tmp_names;
RETURN;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE PLPGSQL;
I don't know if one way is better than the other, returning an array of UUIDs or a table of UUIDs, but at least I got it to work one of those ways. Plus, possibly not using a CTE is more efficient, so it may be better to stick with the version that returns a table of UUIDs.
What I would like to know is why the dynamic query did not work when using a CTE. The query it produced looked like it should have worked.
If anyone can let me know what I did wrong, I would appreciate it.
... why the dynamic query did not work when using a CTE. The query it produced looked like it should have worked.
No, it was only the CTE without (required) outer query. (You had SELECT ARRAY_AGG(hid) INTO ids FROM new_names in the static version.)
There are more problems, but just use this query instead:
INSERT INTO label(name)
SELECT unnest(nms)
ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING
RETURNING hid;
label.name is defined UNIQUE NOT NULL, so this simple UPSERT can replace your function insert_label() completely.
It's much simpler and faster. It also defends against possible duplicates from within your input array that you didn't cover, yet. And it's safe under concurrent write load - as opposed to your original, which might run into race conditions. Related:
How to use RETURNING with ON CONFLICT in PostgreSQL?
I would just use the simple query and replace the table name.
But if you still want a dynamic function:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION insert_label(_tbl regclass, _nms text[])
RETURNS TABLE (hid uuid)
LANGUAGE plpgsql AS
$func$
BEGIN
RETURN QUERY EXECUTE format(
$$
INSERT INTO %s(name)
SELECT unnest($1)
ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING
RETURNING hid
$$, _tbl)
USING _nms;
END
$func$;
If you don't need an array as result, stick with the set (RETURNS TABLE ...). Simpler.
Pass values (_nms) to EXECUTE in a USING clause.
The tablename (_tbl) is type regclass, so the format specifier %I for format() would be wrong. Use %s instead. See:
Table name as a PostgreSQL function parameter
I would like to use a plpgsql function with a table and several columns as input parameter. The idea is to split the table in chunks and do something with each part.
I tried the following function:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION my_func(Integer)
RETURNS SETOF my_part
AS $$
DECLARE
out my_part;
BEGIN
FOR i IN 0..$1 LOOP
FOR out IN
SELECT * FROM my_func2(SELECT * FROM table1 WHERE id = i)
LOOP
RETURN NEXT out;
END LOOP;
END LOOP;
RETURN;
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;
my_func2() is the function that does some work on each smaller part.
CREATE or REPLACE FUNCTION my_func2(table1)
RETURNS SETOF my_part2 AS
$$
BEGIN
RETURN QUERY
SELECT * FROM table1;
END
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;
If I run:
SELECT * FROM my_func(99);
I guess I should receive the first 99 IDs processed for each id.
But it says there is an error for the following line:
SELECT * FROM my_func2(select * from table1 where id = i)
The error is:
The subquery is only allowed to return one column
Why does this happen? Is there an easy way to fix this?
There are multiple misconceptions here. Study the basics before you try advanced magic.
Postgres does not have "table variables". You can only pass 1 column or row at a time to a function. Use a temporary table or a refcursor (like commented by #Daniel) to pass a whole table. The syntax is invalid in multiple places, so it's unclear whether that's what you are actually trying.
Even if it is: it would probably be better to process one row at a time or rethink your approach and use a set-based operation (plain SQL) instead of passing cursors.
The data types my_part and my_part2 are undefined in your question. May be a shortcoming of the question or a problem in the test case.
You seem to expect that the table name table1 in the function body of my_func2() refers to the function parameter of the same (type!) name, but this is fundamentally wrong in at least two ways:
You can only pass values. A table name is an identifier, not a value. You would need to build a query string dynamically and execute it with EXECUTE in a plpgsql function. Try a search, many related answers her on SO. Then again, that may also not be what you wanted.
table1 in CREATE or REPLACE FUNCTION my_func2(table1) is a type name, not a parameter name. It means your function expects a value of the type table1. Obviously, you have a table of the same name, so it's supposed to be the associated row type.
The RETURN type of my_func2() must match what you actually return. Since you are returning SELECT * FROM table1, make that RETURNS SETOF table1.
It can just be a simple SQL function.
All of that put together:
CREATE or REPLACE FUNCTION my_func2(_row table1)
RETURNS SETOF table1 AS
'SELECT ($1).*' LANGUAGE sql;
Note the parentheses, which are essential for decomposing a row type. Per documentation:
The parentheses are required here to show that compositecol is a column name not a table name
But there is more ...
Don't use out as variable name, it's a keyword of the CREATE FUNCTION statement.
The syntax of your main query my_func() is more like psudo-code. Too much doesn't add up.
Proof of concept
Demo table:
CREATE TABLE table1(table1_id serial PRIMARY KEY, txt text);
INSERT INTO table1(txt) VALUES ('a'),('b'),('c'),('d'),('e'),('f'),('g');
Helper function:
CREATE or REPLACE FUNCTION my_func2(_row table1)
RETURNS SETOF table1 AS
'SELECT ($1).*' LANGUAGE sql;
Main function:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION my_func(int)
RETURNS SETOF table1 AS
$func$
DECLARE
rec table1;
BEGIN
FOR i IN 0..$1 LOOP
FOR rec IN
SELECT * FROM table1 WHERE table1_id = i
LOOP
RETURN QUERY
SELECT * FROM my_func2(rec);
END LOOP;
END LOOP;
END
$func$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
Call:
SELECT * FROM my_func(99);
SQL Fiddle.
But it's really just a a proof of concept. Nothing useful, yet.
As the error log is telling you.. you can return only one column in a subquery, so you have to change it to
SELECT my_func2(SELECT Specific_column_you_need FROM hasval WHERE wid = i)
a possible solution can be that you pass to funct2 the primary key of the table your funct2 needs and then you can obtain the whole table by making the SELECT * inside the function
What's the difference between a function that returns TABLE vs SETOF records, all else equal.
CREATE FUNCTION events_by_type_1(text) RETURNS TABLE(id bigint, name text) AS $$
SELECT id, name FROM events WHERE type = $1;
$$ LANGUAGE SQL STABLE;
CREATE FUNCTION events_by_type_2(text) RETURNS SETOF record AS $$
SELECT id, name FROM events WHERE type = $1;
$$ LANGUAGE SQL STABLE;
These functions seem to return the same results. See this SQLFiddle.
When returning SETOF record the output columns are not typed and not named. Thus this form can't be used directly in a FROM clause as if it was a subquery or a table.
That is, when issuing:
SELECT * from events_by_type_2('social');
we get this error:
ERROR: a column definition list is required for functions returning
"record"
It can be "casted" into the correct column types by the SQL caller though. This form does work:
SELECT * from events_by_type_2('social') as (id bigint, name text);
and results in:
id | name
----+----------------
1 | Dance Party
2 | Happy Hour
...
For this reason SETOF record is considered less practical. It should be used only when the column types of the results are not known in advance.
This answer is only to remember alternative context where TABLE and SETOF are equivalent.
As #a_horse_with_no_name pointed, it is not a RETURNS SETOF "unknown record", is a defined one.
In this example, the types table and setof are equivalent,
CREATE TYPE footype AS (score int, term text);
CREATE FUNCTION foo() RETURNS SETOF footype AS $$
SELECT * FROM ( VALUES (1,'hello!'), (2,'Bye') ) t;
$$ language SQL immutable;
CREATE FUNCTION foo_tab() RETURNS TABLE (score int, term text) AS $$
SELECT * FROM ( VALUES (1,'hello!'), (2,'Bye') ) t;
$$ language SQL immutable;
SELECT * FROM foo(); -- works fine!
SELECT * FROM foo_tab(); -- works fine and is equivalent.
The RETURNS SETOF have the advantage of reuse type (see footype), that is impossible with RETURNS TABLE.
Is it possible to pass the results of a postgres query as an input into another function?
As a very contrived example, say I have one query like
SELECT id, name
FROM users
LIMIT 50
and I want to create a function my_function that takes the resultset of the first query and returns the minimum id. Is this possible in pl/pgsql?
SELECT my_function(SELECT id, name FROM Users LIMIT 50); --returns 50
You could use a cursor, but that very impractical for computing a minimum.
I would use a temporary table for that purpose, and pass the table name for use in dynamic SQL:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_min_id(_tbl regclass, OUT min_id int) AS
$func$
BEGIN
EXECUTE 'SELECT min(id) FROM ' || _tbl
INTO min_id;
END
$func$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
Call:
CREATE TEMP TABLE foo ON COMMIT DROP AS
SELECT id, name
FROM users
LIMIT 50;
SELECT f_min_id('foo');
Major points
The first parameter is of type regclass to prevent SQL injection. More info in this related answer on dba.SE.
I made the temp table ON COMMIT DROP to limit its lifetime to the current transaction. May or may not be what you want.
You can extend this example to take more parameters. Search for code examples for dynamic SQL with EXECUTE.
-> SQLfiddle demo
I would take the problem on the other side, calling an aggregate function for each record of the result set. It's not as flexible but can gives you an hint to work on.
As an exemple to follow your sample problem:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION myMin ( int,int ) RETURNS int AS $$
SELECT CASE WHEN $1 < $2 THEN $1 ELSE $2 END;
$$ LANGUAGE SQL STRICT IMMUTABLE;
CREATE AGGREGATE my_function ( int ) (
SFUNC = myMin, STYPE = int, INITCOND = 2147483647 --maxint
);
SELECT my_function(id) from (SELECT * FROM Users LIMIT 50) x;
It is not possible to pass an array of generic type RECORD to a plpgsql function which is essentially what you are trying to do.
What you can do is pass in an array of a specific user defined TYPE or of a particular table row type. In the example below you could also swap out the argument data type for the table name users[] (though this would obviously mean getting all data in the users table row).
CREATE TYPE trivial {
"ID" integer,
"NAME" text
}
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION trivial_func(data trivial[])
RETURNS integer AS
$BODY$
DECLARE
BEGIN
--Implementation here using data
return 1;
END$BODY$
LANGUAGE 'plpgsql' VOLATILE;
I think there's no way to pass recordset or table into function (but I'd be glad if i'm wrong). Best I could suggest is to pass array:
create or replace function my_function(data int[])
returns int
as
$$
select min(x) from unnest(data) as x
$$
language SQL;
sql fiddle demo