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From: Ian Barwick <barwick@gmx.net>
To: "Josh Berkus" <josh@agliodbs.com>,
	Greg Johnson <gregj@interprose.com>, pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: Passing array to PL/SQL and looping
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 00:25:06 +0200
References: <web-1731886@davinci.ethosmedia.com>
In-Reply-To: <web-1731886@davinci.ethosmedia.com>
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Message-Id: <200209290025.06378.barwick@gmx.net>

On Friday 27 September 2002 18:04, Josh Berkus wrote:
> Greg,
>
> > CREATE FUNCTION test_array( ) RETURNS VARCHAR[] AS '
> > DECLARE
> >     return_array VARCHAR[];
> > BEGIN
> >     return_array[0] :=3D ''test'';
> >     return_array[1] :=3D ''test 1'';
> >     return_array[2] :=3D ''test 2'';
> > RETURN (return_array);
> > END;'
> > LANGUAGE 'plpgsql';
>
> No, it's not possible to do the above.   This is a flaw in the current
> implementation of PL/pgSQL that will not be resolved until we attract
> some new Postgres hackers who really care about upgrading PL/pgSQL.
>
> Currently, if you want to use an array, it has to be passed as a
> parameter, or come from an external table.   You cannot declare an
> Array data type.  Annoying, really.

If I replace the return_array allocations in the above example with this=20
line:

  return_array :=3D ''{ ''''test'''', ''''test 1'''', ''''test 2''''}'';

it _seems_ to work as expected, at least in 7.3b1., e.g.=20

test=3D> select array_dims(test_array) from test_array();
 array_dims=20
------------
 [1:3]
(1 row)


Ian Barwick
barwick@gmx.net