subselects

From: Bruce Momjian <maillist(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us>
To: Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>
Cc: PostgreSQL-development <hackers(at)postgreSQL(dot)org>
Subject: subselects
Date: 1999-05-10 19:07:51
Message-ID: 199905101907.PAA09109@candle.pha.pa.us
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-hackers

> Bruce Momjian <maillist(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us> writes:
> >> Given
> >> create table t1 (name text, value float8);
> >>
> >> this fails:
> >> SELECT name, value FROM t1 as touter WHERE
> >> (value/(SELECT AVG(value) FROM t1 WHERE name = touter.name)) > 0.75;
> >> ERROR: parser: '/' must return 'bool' to be used with subquery
>
> > Aren't you really saying WHERE col / (subselect). That doesn't return
> > bool, so the message seems correct.
>
> No, look again: the result of the subselect is being used as an operand
> within the WHERE clause:
> WHERE (value/(SUBSELECT)) > 0.75;
>
> If the / were the toplevel operator in the WHERE then the message would
> make sense, because the WHERE clause as a whole must yield boolean.
> But that doesn't mean that the operator immediately above the subselect
> must yield boolean.
>
> Besides, I already fixed this ;-)
>
> > We don't allow subselects in target lists, or inside expressions.
>
> We don't allow 'em in target lists, I think (anyone understand why not?)
> but they work fine inside expressions in WHERE or HAVING.

Gee, I didn't know they worked inside an expression, but now looking
at the grammar, I remember seeing that they should.

Added to TODO list.

--
Bruce Momjian | http://www.op.net/~candle
maillist(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us | (610) 853-3000
+ If your life is a hard drive, | 830 Blythe Avenue
+ Christ can be your backup. | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026

Browse pgsql-hackers by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Michael J Davis 1999-05-10 19:19:20 RE: [HACKERS] NULL = col
Previous Message Bruce Momjian 1999-05-10 19:01:30 NULL = col