Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:41:01 +0200 (CEST)
From: Erik Wienhold <ewie@ewie.name>
To: "David E. Wheeler" <david@justatheory.com>,
	pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org
Message-ID: <1096313951.132571.1694990461053@office.mailbox.org>
In-Reply-To: <09F9CAD6-5096-43CC-B6A7-685703E4714D@justatheory.com>
References: <09F9CAD6-5096-43CC-B6A7-685703E4714D@justatheory.com>
Subject: Re: to_regtype() Raises Error
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On 18/09/2023 00:13 CEST David E. Wheeler <david@justatheory.com> wrote:

> The docs for `to_regtype()` say, =E2=80=9Cthis function will return NULL =
rather than
> throwing an error if the name is not found.=E2=80=9D And it=E2=80=99s tru=
e most of the time:
>
> david=3D# select to_regtype('foo'), to_regtype('clam');
>  to_regtype | to_regtype
> ------------+------------
>  [null]     | [null]
>
> But not others:
>
> david=3D# select to_regtype('inteval second');
> ERROR:  syntax error at or near "second"
> LINE 1: select to_regtype('inteval second');
>                 ^
> CONTEXT:  invalid type name "inteval second=E2=80=9D

Probably a typo and you meant 'interval second' which works.

> I presume this has something to do with not catching errors from the pars=
er?
>
> david=3D# select to_regtype('clam bake');
> ERROR:  syntax error at or near "bake"
> LINE 1: select to_regtype('clam bake');
>              ^
> CONTEXT:  invalid type name "clam bake"

Double-quoting the type name to treat it as an identifier works:

=09test=3D# select to_regtype('"clam bake"');
=09 to_regtype
=09------------
=09 <NULL>
=09(1 row)

So it's basically a matter of keywords vs. identifiers.

--
Erik