Re: Plpgsql function with unknown number of args

Thanks for the input. This looks very promising. I have one further
question. My SQL statement is going to pull data from more than one
table in a relatively complex query. How do I cast the RETURNS portion
of the function? Again, I can't find what I'm looking for in the docs.
I've included an actual sample SQL statement. I will only be changing
the first portion of the WHERE clause.

SELECT "PrintSamples"."MachineID", "PrintSamples"."PrintCopyID",
"tblColors"."Color", "tblBlockAC"."AreaCoverage",
"ParameterValues"."ParameterValue" AS "Mottle_NMF"
FROM ("AnalysisModules"
INNER JOIN ("tblColors"
INNER JOIN ("Targets"
INNER JOIN (("tblTPNamesAndColors"
INNER JOIN "PrintSamples"
ON "tblTPNamesAndColors"."TestPatternName" =
"PrintSamples"."TestPatternName")
INNER JOIN (("DigitalImages"
INNER JOIN "PrintSampleAnalyses"
ON "DigitalImages"."ImageID" = "PrintSampleAnalyses"."ImageID")
INNER JOIN ("ParameterNames"
INNER JOIN ("Measurements"
INNER JOIN "ParameterValues"
ON "Measurements"."MeasurementID" =
"ParameterValues"."MeasurementID")
ON "ParameterNames"."ParameterID" =
"ParameterValues"."ParameterID")
ON "PrintSampleAnalyses"."psaID" = "Measurements"."psaID")
ON "PrintSamples"."PrintSampleID" =
"DigitalImages"."PrintSampleID")
ON "Targets"."TargetID" = "Measurements"."TargetID")
ON "tblColors"."ColorID" = "tblTPNamesAndColors"."ColorID")
ON "AnalysisModules"."MetricID" = "Measurements"."MetricID")
INNER JOIN "tblBlockAC"
ON "Targets"."TargetID" = "tblBlockAC"."TargetID"
WHERE (("PrintSamples"."MachineID" = '2167' OR
"PrintSamples"."MachineID" = '2168' OR "PrintSamples"."MachineID" =
'2169')
AND (("tblBlockAC"."AreaCoverage")=100 Or
("tblBlockAC"."AreaCoverage")=60 Or ("tblBlockAC"."AreaCoverage")=40)
AND (("AnalysisModules"."AnalysisModuleName")='NMF')
AND (("ParameterNames"."ParameterName")='NMF'))
ORDER BY "PrintSamples"."MachineID", "PrintSamples"."PrintCopyID",
"tblColors"."ColorID";

-----Original Message-----
From: pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org
[mailto:pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org] On Behalf Of Harald Fuchs
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 3:49 PM
To: pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Plpgsql function with unknown number of args

In article
<1806D1F73FCB7F439F2C842EE0627B1801C32853(at)usa0300ms01(dot)na(dot)xerox(dot)net>,
"Relyea, Mike" <Mike(dot)Relyea(at)xerox(dot)com> writes:

> I need to create my very first function. I'm using 8.0.2 and I need a
> function that I can call (from my client app) with an unknown number
of
> criteria for a select query. The function will then return the
results
> of the query. In my mind, it would go something like what I've
outlined
> below. I realize that there are syntax mistakes etc, but this is just
> an example:

> CREATE TABLE mytable (
> a INTEGER UNIQUE PRIMARY KEY,
> b VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
> );

> CREATE FUNCTION myfunc(criteria) RETURNS ???? AS $$

> BEGIN

> BEGIN
> FOREACH crit IN criteria
> critsql := "b = 'crit' OR "
> NEXT crit
> END;

> PERFORM "SELECT a, b FROM mytable WHERE (" critsql ");"

> END;
> $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

> Select * from myfunc(1, 2, 3, 4) would then equate to SELECT a, b FROM
> mytable WHERE (b = '1' OR b = '2' OR b = '3' OR b = '4');

> Select * from myfunc(9, 21) would equate to SELECT a, b FROM mytable
> WHERE (b = '9' OR b = '21');

> My question is how do I do that? I've looked through the docs and
can't
> find what I'm looking for. I'm assuming this is possible because it's
a
> relatively simple task.

You can't have a variable number of args, but since all args have the
same type you can use an array. The return type is a set of mytable
rows; thus myfunc becomes something like

CREATE FUNCTION myfunc (TEXT[]) RETURNS SETOF mytable AS $$
SELECT *
FROM mytable
WHERE b = ANY ($1)
$$ LANGUAGE sql;

This function can be called like that:

SELECT *
FROM myfunc (ARRAY ['1', '2', '3', '4']);

SELECT *
FROM myfunc (ARRAY ['9', '21']);

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