Message-ID: <3ED98F60.3070503@joeconway.com>
Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 22:30:08 -0700
From: Joe Conway <mail@joeconway.com>
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To: Danny Su <thedumbkid@hotmail.com>
Cc: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: generic return for functions
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Danny Su wrote:
> I am currently converting everything from SQL Server to PostgreSQL.  
> This is for an application that is going to support Oracle, SQL Server 
> and PostgreSQL at the same time.  I have done a lot of the conversion 
> already but I am stuck on functions that returns parts of views or tables.
> 
[...snip description of SQL Server 2000 table-valued UDFs...]
> 
> I know "returns setof record" and "returns setof my_own_datatype" work, 
> but I would like to know if there is a better way? Something that's like 
> "returns setof record" but without having to define all the columns when 
> I call the function? {i.e. without the need to do: select * from 
> myfunction() as (column1 type1, column2...);}
> 
> If there is such method? It will allow me to maintain the application 
> much easier and makes the conversion task much easier :)
> 

Sorry -- the answer is no. But I don't think Oracle will support what 
you want either.

Joe