Re: order by, within a plpgsql fx

<david(dot)sahagian(at)emc(dot)com> writes:
> Please consider this plpgsql function:
> = = = = = = = = = =
> CREATE Or Replace FUNCTION fx_order_by ( )
> RETURNS table( last_name text, first_name )
> AS $eofx$
> DECLARE
> --
> BEGIN

> Return Query
> select
> lname, fname
> from
> my_table
> order by
> lname ASC
> ;

> END;
> $eofx$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
> = = = = = = = = = =

> So, is this select statement's result set guaranteed to be ordered as specified by the [order by] coded within the function body ?
> = = = = = = = = = =
> select last_name, first_name from fx_order_by() ;
> = = = = = = = = = =

Well, it's not "guaranteed" exactly, but as long as the outer query
doesn't have any occasion to do anything but seqscan the function
result, you'd get the rows in that order. If you were to throw in
DISTINCT, or GROUP BY, or a JOIN to something else, etc, then maybe
not.

regards, tom lane