Chapter 41. PL/pgSQL — SQL Procedural Language

   Table of Contents

   41.1. Overview

        41.1.1. Advantages of Using PL/pgSQL
        41.1.2. Supported Argument and Result Data Types

   41.2. Structure of PL/pgSQL
   41.3. Declarations

        41.3.1. Declaring Function Parameters
        41.3.2. ALIAS
        41.3.3. Copying Types
        41.3.4. Row Types
        41.3.5. Record Types
        41.3.6. Collation of PL/pgSQL Variables

   41.4. Expressions
   41.5. Basic Statements

        41.5.1. Assignment
        41.5.2. Executing SQL Commands
        41.5.3. Executing a Command with a Single-Row Result
        41.5.4. Executing Dynamic Commands
        41.5.5. Obtaining the Result Status
        41.5.6. Doing Nothing At All

   41.6. Control Structures

        41.6.1. Returning from a Function
        41.6.2. Returning from a Procedure
        41.6.3. Calling a Procedure
        41.6.4. Conditionals
        41.6.5. Simple Loops
        41.6.6. Looping through Query Results
        41.6.7. Looping through Arrays
        41.6.8. Trapping Errors
        41.6.9. Obtaining Execution Location Information

   41.7. Cursors

        41.7.1. Declaring Cursor Variables
        41.7.2. Opening Cursors
        41.7.3. Using Cursors
        41.7.4. Looping through a Cursor's Result

   41.8. Transaction Management
   41.9. Errors and Messages

        41.9.1. Reporting Errors and Messages
        41.9.2. Checking Assertions

   41.10. Trigger Functions

        41.10.1. Triggers on Data Changes
        41.10.2. Triggers on Events

   41.11. PL/pgSQL under the Hood

        41.11.1. Variable Substitution
        41.11.2. Plan Caching

   41.12. Tips for Developing in PL/pgSQL

        41.12.1. Handling of Quotation Marks
        41.12.2. Additional Compile-Time and Run-Time Checks

   41.13. Porting from Oracle PL/SQL

        41.13.1. Porting Examples
        41.13.2. Other Things to Watch For
        41.13.3. Appendix