Re: now() in PL/pgSQL Functions

Ok. Right after I posted I noticed this:

"It is important to know that CURRENT_TIMESTAMP and related functions return
the start time of the current transaction; their values do not change during
the transaction. This is considered a feature: the intent is to allow a
single transaction to have a consistent notion of the "current" time, so
that multiple modifications within the same transaction bear the same time
stamp."

Using timeofday(), gives me the result I want (timeofday()::timestamp casts
it nicely to a timestamp).

Yosef Haas

Lead Developer

KarateDepot.com

845-875-6423

yosef(at)karatedepot(dot)com

_____

From: pgsql-bugs-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org
[mailto:pgsql-bugs-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org] On Behalf Of Yosef Haas
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 9:44 AM
To: pgsql-bugs(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: [BUGS] now() in PL/pgSQL Functions

This is in version 8.1.4.

I've noticed what seems to be a strange behavior - it may be by design, but
I figured I'd ask.

Run this simple test function:

create or replace function test() RETURNS bool AS '

begin

raise notice ''%'',now();

for i IN 0..50000000 loop

end loop;

raise notice ''%'',now();

return true;

end;

'

LANGUAGE 'plpgsql';

It should print the current date, wait a few seconds (by counting to 50
million)

And then print the current date. Clearly, the two dates are not identical;
however this is how it executes:

catalog=# select test();

NOTICE: 2007-01-30 09:33:19.323702-05

NOTICE: 2007-01-30 09:33:19.323702-05

test

------

t

(1 row)

For some reason it is using the same value for both "now()" calls. Is this a
bug, or by design? If it's by design what can I do to get the right time. I
know that the function only returns when it's finished executing, but
shouldn't now() return the actual time and not the time that the function
begins?

Thanks,

Yosef Haas

yosef(at)karatedepot(dot)com