Subject: Re: cannot create function that uses variable table name
From: Beth <bethg@cybernamix.com>
To: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
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Date: 20 Jan 2003 16:17:32 +1300
Message-Id: <1043032653.2163.116.camel@white>
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As per Matthew Nuzum's post
My query is very similar...

I need sql functions to update the database. If I specify the filename
etc they work. BUT that leads to 6 functions which are exactly the same
apart from the file they update. 

1) why can't I use a variable name and
2) could someone please point me towards some examples of EXECUTE if
thats the only way to do it? 


my example is: 
CREATE FUNCTION retire(varchar, varchar, int4) returns int4 AS'
BEGIN
UPDATE $1 SET "Retired" = 'true' WHERE $2 = $3;
SELECT (whatever to return the int4);
END;'
Language 'plpgsql';

which has: parse error at or near "true"

($1 is the filename, $2 is the fieldname, $3 is the fieldvalue and
"Retired" is a boolean field in each of the files) 

Thanks 
Beth