Understanding PostgreSQL select operator - sql

I'm writing the following stored procedure:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION getid() RETURNS table(id integer) AS $$
DECLARE
rec RECORD;
BEGIN
select id into rec from player where id = 3;
END $$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;
select * from getid();
And when I'm trying to execute that script I got the error:
column reference "id" is ambiguous
Why? I thought that id column of the returned table is not participate in the select operator...
The issue is that it worked on PostgreSQL 8.4 but doesn't work on PosgtreSQL 9.4. Couldn't you explain what actually has been added in the PostgreSQL 9.4 so it doesn't work?

Postgres is confused when you use the same names for arguments and columns... Consider using a convention with some prefix for all input parameters - for example p_id
I would write:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION getid() RETURNS table(p_id integer) AS $$
DECLARE
rec RECORD;
BEGIN
SELECT INTO rec id FROM player WHERE id = 3;
END $$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;

To solve that specific problem you would do this in your select:
SELECT player.id INTO rec FROM player WHERE player.id = 3;

Related

How to create a procedure that returns a set of rows from a table in postgreSQL

How do i create a Procedure that returns a set of rows from a table?
or is it even possible to return a tabular result set with procedure.
I tried adding returns setof students like you do in a function and table(id int) but it doesn't work.
SAMPLE CODE:
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE getStudents()
LANGUAGE plpgsql
AS $$
BEGIN
SELECT * FROM STUDENTS
COMMIT;
RETURN;
END;
$$;
I can call it but it says query has no destination for result data
Procedures aren't meant to return data, that's what functions are for.
You can use a plain SQL function for this, no need for PL/pgSQL:
CREATE OR REPLACE funct get_students()
returns setof student
LANGUAGE sqö
AS $$
select *
from students;
$$;
Then use it like a table:
select *
from get_students();
There is also no need for a commit.
Try to use function instead of procedure. I usually use this.
You need to create a ctype for fetching the data.
Put whatever columns you have to fetch from STUDENTS table.
Syntax is as follows:
CREATE TYPE students_data_ctype AS
(
column_1 int4,
column_2 varchar(100),
column_3 varchar(500)
)
Then create a funcction :
CREATE
OR
REPLACE
FUNCTION PUBLIC.getStudents
()
RETURNS SETOF students_data_ctype AS $BODY$ DECLARE res
students_data_ctype;
BEGIN
FOR res IN
SELECT
column_1,
column_2,
column_3
FROM
STUDENTS
LOOP RETURN NEXT res;
END LOOP;
END
; $BODY$ LANGUAGE 'plpgsql'
GO
Function call :
Select * FROM getStudents()
Taddaaa! You will get your data.

Generalize Get/Create Stored Procedure From One Item to Many

I have an express.js server running an application and from that server I can access or create "variant_id"s in PostgreSQL (Version 11) by using a stored procedure.
SELECT(get_or_create_variant_id(info_about_variant));
Sometimes I also need to get a bunch of these variant ids back by using a different stored procedure that takes multiple variants and returns multiple ids.
SELECT(get_or_create_variant_ids([info_about_variant, info_about_another_variant]));
What is the best way to generalize getting/creating a single id to doing multiple at once? I'm handling it in a LOOP in my stored procedure, but it feels like I should be able to use a JOIN instead.
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_or_create_variant_id(
variant_in VARIANT_TYPE
) RETURNS INT AS $$
DECLARE variant_id_out INTEGER;
BEGIN
-- I'll be changing this to a ON CONFLICT block shortly
SELECT(get_variant_id(variant_in) INTO variant_id_out);
IF (variant_id_out IS NOT NULL) THEN
RETURN variant_id_out;
ELSE
INSERT INTO public.variant (
[some_fields]
)
VALUES (
[some_values]
)
RETURNING variant_id INTO variant_id_out;
RETURN variant_id_out;
END IF;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
-- What is the best way to avoid a loop here?
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_or_create_variant_ids(
variants_in VARIANT_TYPE []
) RETURNS INT [] AS $$
DECLARE variant_ids_out INTEGER [];
DECLARE variants_in_length INTEGER;
DECLARE current_variant_id INTEGER;
BEGIN
SELECT (array_length(variants_in, 1) INTO variants_in_length);
FOR i IN 1..variants_in_length LOOP
SELECT(get_or_create_variant_id(variants_in[i]) INTO current_variant_id);
SELECT(array_append(variant_ids_out, current_variant_id) INTO variant_ids_out);
END LOOP;
RETURN variant_ids_out;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
-- Everything below is included for completeness, but probably less relevant to my question.
CREATE TYPE variant_type AS (
[lots of info about the variant]
);
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_variant_id(
variant_in VARIANT_TYPE
) RETURNS INT AS $$
DECLARE variant_id_out INTEGER;
BEGIN
SELECT variant_id into variant_id_out
FROM public.variant
WHERE
[I want them to]
;
RETURN variant_id_out;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
You can avoid explicit loop using builtin array functions - in this case, unnest function, and array constructor.
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_or_create_variant_ids_v2(
variants_in VARIANT_TYPE []
)
RETURNS integer []
LANGUAGE sql AS $$
SELECT ARRAY(
SELECT get_or_create_variant_id(u.v)
FROM unnest(variants_in) AS u(v)
)
$$ LANGUAGE sql;

call an sql function by name returned by select

I would like to find out how to call a function the name of which is returned from a select query. So let's say, I have a select query:
SELECT function_name FROM functions WHERE id=1;
Now let's say, the returned functions name is fce1
and now I want to execute:
SELECT fce1(parameters);
Now my initial idea would be:
SELECT CONCAT(SELECT function_name FROM functions WHERE id=1;, "(params)");
I am quite certain that the idea is wrong. But I was trying to figure that out some time ago and I remember that at least MS SQL was able to achieve my goal and also POSTGRESQL. Anyway, neither do I remember or am I able to find how to do it. Ideas would be appreciated.
DECLARE #func NVARCHAR(50);
SELECT #func = function_name FROM functions WHERE id=1;
EXEC ('select ' + #func + '()')
Assuming all functions return the same data type, you could build a wrapper function in Postgres that you pass the ID of the function to be called:
create or replace function call_func(p_id integer)
returns integer
as
$$
declare
l_result integer;
l_name text;
l_params text;
begin
select function_name, parameters
into l_name, l_params
from functions
where id = p_id;
execute 'select '||l_name||'('||l_params||')'
into l_result;
return l_result;
end;
$$
language plpgsql;
Note: the above is just an example.
It's wide open to SQL injection and does not do any error checking or sanitizing the parameters! But it might point you into the right direction.
Assume you have the functions:
create or replace function foo(p_arg_1 integer, p_arg_2 integer)
returns integer
as
$$
select p_arg_1 + p_arg_2;
$$
language sql;
create or replace function bar(p_value integer)
returns integer
as
$$
select p_value * 4;
$$
language sql;
And the functions table looks like this:
id | function_name | parameters
---+---------------+-----------
1 | fce | 42
2 | foo | 1,2
You can then do
select call_func(2);
or
select call_func(1);
But again: this will only work if all functions return the same result. e.g. scalar functions returning a single value, or set returning functions returning the same table definition.

Write a PL/pgSQL function so that FOUND is not set when "nothing" is found?

I am just starting out on functions in PostgreSQL, and this is probably pretty basic, but how is this done?
I would like to be able to use the following in a function:
PERFORM id_exists();
IF FOUND THEN
-- Do something
END IF;
where the id_exists() function (to be used with SELECT and PERFORM) is:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION id_exists() RETURNS int AS $$
DECLARE
my_id int;
BEGIN
SELECT id INTO my_id
FROM tablename LIMIT 1;
RETURN my_id;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
Currently, even when my_id does not exist in the table, FOUND is true, presumably because a row is still being returned (a null integer)? How can this be re-written so that an integer is returned if found, otherwise nothing at all is?
Your assumption is correct, FOUND is set to TRUE if the last statement returned a row, regardless of the value (may be NULL in your case). Details in the manual here.
Rewrite to, for instance:
IF id_exists() IS NOT NULL THEN
-- Do something
END IF;
Or rewrite the return value of your function with SETOF so it can return multiple rows - or no row! Use RETURN QUERY like I demonstrate. You can use this function in your original setting.
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION id_exists()
RETURNS SETOF int LANGUAGE plpgsql AS
$BODY$
BEGIN
RETURN QUERY
SELECT id
FROM tablename
LIMIT 1;
END;
$BODY$;
Or, even simpler with a language SQL function:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION id_exists()
RETURNS SETOF int LANGUAGE sql AS
$BODY$
SELECT id
FROM tablename
LIMIT 1;
$BODY$;

Return a query from a function?

I am using PostgreSQL 8.4 and I want to create a function that returns a query with many rows.
The following function does not work:
create function get_names(varchar) returns setof record AS $$
declare
tname alias for $1;
res setof record;
begin
select * into res from mytable where name = tname;
return res;
end;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
The type record only allows single row.
How to return an entire query? I want to use functions as query templates.
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_names(_tname varchar)
RETURNS TABLE (col_a integer, col_b text) AS
$func$
BEGIN
RETURN QUERY
SELECT t.col_a, t.col_b -- must match RETURNS TABLE
FROM mytable t
WHERE t.name = _tname;
END
$func$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
Call like this:
SELECT * FROM get_names('name')
Major points:
Use RETURNS TABLE, so you don't have to provide a list of column names with every call.
Use RETURN QUERY, much simpler.
Table-qualify column names to avoid naming conflicts with identically named OUT parameters (including columns declared with RETURNS TABLE).
Use a named variable instead of ALIAS. Simpler, doing the same, and it's the preferred way.
A simple function like this could also be written in LANGUAGE sql:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_names(_tname varchar)
RETURNS TABLE (col_a integer, col_b text) AS
$func$
SELECT t.col_a, t.col_b --, more columns - must match RETURNS above
FROM mytable t
WHERE t.name = $1;
$func$ LANGUAGE sql;