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2 <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><title>33.4. Server-Side Functions</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet.css" /><link rev="made" href="pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org" /><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets Vsnapshot" /><link rel="prev" href="lo-interfaces.html" title="33.3. Client Interfaces" /><link rel="next" href="lo-examplesect.html" title="33.5. Example Program" /></head><body id="docContent" class="container-fluid col-10"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="5" align="center">33.4. Server-Side Functions</th></tr><tr><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="lo-interfaces.html" title="33.3. Client Interfaces">Prev</a> </td><td width="10%" align="left"><a accesskey="u" href="largeobjects.html" title="Chapter 33. Large Objects">Up</a></td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 33. Large Objects</th><td width="10%" align="right"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 18.0 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="10%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="lo-examplesect.html" title="33.5. Example Program">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr /></div><div class="sect1" id="LO-FUNCS"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">33.4. Server-Side Functions <a href="#LO-FUNCS" class="id_link">#</a></h2></div></div></div><p>
3 Server-side functions tailored for manipulating large objects from SQL are
4 listed in <a class="xref" href="lo-funcs.html#LO-FUNCS-TABLE" title="Table 33.1. SQL-Oriented Large Object Functions">Table 33.1</a>.
5 </p><div class="table" id="LO-FUNCS-TABLE"><p class="title"><strong>Table 33.1. SQL-Oriented Large Object Functions</strong></p><div class="table-contents"><table class="table" summary="SQL-Oriented Large Object Functions" border="1"><colgroup><col /></colgroup><thead><tr><th class="func_table_entry"><p class="func_signature">
13 </p></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="func_table_entry"><p class="func_signature">
14 <a id="id-1.7.4.9.3.2.2.1.1.1.1" class="indexterm"></a>
15 <code class="function">lo_from_bytea</code> ( <em class="parameter"><code>loid</code></em> <code class="type">oid</code>, <em class="parameter"><code>data</code></em> <code class="type">bytea</code> )
16 → <code class="returnvalue">oid</code>
19 Creates a large object and stores <em class="parameter"><code>data</code></em> in it.
20 If <em class="parameter"><code>loid</code></em> is zero then the system will choose a
21 free OID, otherwise that OID is used (with an error if some large
22 object already has that OID). On success, the large object's OID is
26 <code class="literal">lo_from_bytea(0, '\xffffff00')</code>
27 → <code class="returnvalue">24528</code>
28 </p></td></tr><tr><td class="func_table_entry"><p class="func_signature">
29 <a id="id-1.7.4.9.3.2.2.2.1.1.1" class="indexterm"></a>
30 <code class="function">lo_put</code> ( <em class="parameter"><code>loid</code></em> <code class="type">oid</code>, <em class="parameter"><code>offset</code></em> <code class="type">bigint</code>, <em class="parameter"><code>data</code></em> <code class="type">bytea</code> )
31 → <code class="returnvalue">void</code>
34 Writes <em class="parameter"><code>data</code></em> starting at the given offset within
35 the large object; the large object is enlarged if necessary.
38 <code class="literal">lo_put(24528, 1, '\xaa')</code>
39 → <code class="returnvalue"></code>
40 </p></td></tr><tr><td class="func_table_entry"><p class="func_signature">
41 <a id="id-1.7.4.9.3.2.2.3.1.1.1" class="indexterm"></a>
42 <code class="function">lo_get</code> ( <em class="parameter"><code>loid</code></em> <code class="type">oid</code> [<span class="optional">, <em class="parameter"><code>offset</code></em> <code class="type">bigint</code>, <em class="parameter"><code>length</code></em> <code class="type">integer</code> </span>] )
43 → <code class="returnvalue">bytea</code>
46 Extracts the large object's contents, or a substring thereof.
49 <code class="literal">lo_get(24528, 0, 3)</code>
50 → <code class="returnvalue">\xffaaff</code>
51 </p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break" /><p>
52 There are additional server-side functions corresponding to each of the
53 client-side functions described earlier; indeed, for the most part the
54 client-side functions are simply interfaces to the equivalent server-side
55 functions. The ones just as convenient to call via SQL commands are
56 <code class="function">lo_creat</code><a id="id-1.7.4.9.4.2" class="indexterm"></a>,
57 <code class="function">lo_create</code>,
58 <code class="function">lo_unlink</code><a id="id-1.7.4.9.4.5" class="indexterm"></a>,
59 <code class="function">lo_import</code><a id="id-1.7.4.9.4.7" class="indexterm"></a>, and
60 <code class="function">lo_export</code><a id="id-1.7.4.9.4.9" class="indexterm"></a>.
61 Here are examples of their use:
63 </p><pre class="programlisting">
69 SELECT lo_creat(-1); -- returns OID of new, empty large object
71 SELECT lo_create(43213); -- attempts to create large object with OID 43213
73 SELECT lo_unlink(173454); -- deletes large object with OID 173454
75 INSERT INTO image (name, raster)
76 VALUES ('beautiful image', lo_import('/etc/motd'));
78 INSERT INTO image (name, raster) -- same as above, but specify OID to use
79 VALUES ('beautiful image', lo_import('/etc/motd', 68583));
81 SELECT lo_export(image.raster, '/tmp/motd') FROM image
82 WHERE name = 'beautiful image';
85 The server-side <code class="function">lo_import</code> and
86 <code class="function">lo_export</code> functions behave considerably differently
87 from their client-side analogs. These two functions read and write files
88 in the server's file system, using the permissions of the database's
89 owning user. Therefore, by default their use is restricted to superusers.
90 In contrast, the client-side import and export functions read and write
91 files in the client's file system, using the permissions of the client
92 program. The client-side functions do not require any database
93 privileges, except the privilege to read or write the large object in
95 </p><div class="caution"><h3 class="title">Caution</h3><p>
96 It is possible to <a class="xref" href="sql-grant.html" title="GRANT"><span class="refentrytitle">GRANT</span></a> use of the
97 server-side <code class="function">lo_import</code>
98 and <code class="function">lo_export</code> functions to non-superusers, but
99 careful consideration of the security implications is required. A
100 malicious user of such privileges could easily parlay them into becoming
101 superuser (for example by rewriting server configuration files), or could
102 attack the rest of the server's file system without bothering to obtain
103 database superuser privileges as such. <span class="emphasis"><em>Access to roles having
104 such privilege must therefore be guarded just as carefully as access to
105 superuser roles.</em></span> Nonetheless, if use of
106 server-side <code class="function">lo_import</code>
107 or <code class="function">lo_export</code> is needed for some routine task, it's
108 safer to use a role with such privileges than one with full superuser
109 privileges, as that helps to reduce the risk of damage from accidental
112 The functionality of <code class="function">lo_read</code> and
113 <code class="function">lo_write</code> is also available via server-side calls,
114 but the names of the server-side functions differ from the client side
115 interfaces in that they do not contain underscores. You must call
116 these functions as <code class="function">loread</code> and <code class="function">lowrite</code>.
117 </p></div><div class="navfooter"><hr /><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="lo-interfaces.html" title="33.3. Client Interfaces">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="largeobjects.html" title="Chapter 33. Large Objects">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="lo-examplesect.html" title="33.5. Example Program">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">33.3. Client Interfaces </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="index.html" title="PostgreSQL 18.0 Documentation">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> 33.5. Example Program</td></tr></table></div></body></html>