Message-Id: <52962000-14ED-4BC2-8F5D-520F238FA78D@socialserve.com>
From: James Robinson <jlrobins@socialserve.com>
To: pgsql-docs@postgresql.org
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Subject: plpgsql, declare blocks, and '=' versus ':='
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:25:35 -0400

It seems that [ in 8.2.9 at least ], in a plpgsql declare block,  
assignment to declared variable can use either the proper ':='  
operator or the unexpected and undocumented '=' operator. See  
following script. The magic handling of '=' ought to get documented at  
least.

[ plpgsql-declarations.html makes no mention of '=' token handling in  
either 8.3 or 8.2. docs ]

---
create or replace function test_1() returns int as
$$
declare
	value int = 12; -- wow -- no colon!
begin
	return value;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;


create or replace function test_2() returns int as
$$
declare
	value int := 14; -- correct
begin
	return value;
end;
$$ language plpgsql;


select test_1();
-- returns 12

select test_2();
-- returns 14

-----


----
James Robinson
Socialserve.com