From: Chris Browne <cbbrowne@acm.org>
Subject: Re: User defined types -- Social Security number...
Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 12:30:54 -0500
Organization: cbbrowne Computing Inc
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To: "pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org.pgsql-sql"@postgresql.org

"Greg Patnude" <gpatnude@hotmail.com> writes:
> It would be really sweet in postgreSQL if we could apply the
> equivalent of a printf(columnname) to the table definition -- MS
> Access has what they call an "input mask" and it comes in really
> handy -- however -- I havent used Access for anthing serious for
> about 4 years...

Hmm.  

% man "create type"

NAME
       CREATE TYPE - define a new data type

SYNOPSIS
       CREATE TYPE name AS
           ( attribute_name data_type [, ... ] )

       CREATE TYPE name (
           INPUT = input_function,
           OUTPUT = output_function
           [ , RECEIVE = receive_function ]
           [ , SEND = send_function ]
           [ , INTERNALLENGTH = { internallength | VARIABLE } ]
           [ , PASSEDBYVALUE ]
           [ , ALIGNMENT = alignment ]
           [ , STORAGE = storage ]
           [ , DEFAULT = default ]
           [ , ELEMENT = element ]
           [ , DELIMITER = delimiter ]
       )

"input_function" and "output_function" sure _sound_ like what you're
looking for.

They would make your imagined issue of "missing leading zeros" go
away.

I think that CREATE TYPE has been around for a goodly few years now;
it is not impossible that this functionality has been around longer
than MS Access (which is saying something!).
-- 
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