Re: Execute access on functions

On Wed, Mar 23, 2005 at 12:35:12 -0700,
Kathy Smith <ksmith(at)lanl(dot)gov> wrote:
> I want to control access (update, delete) to my tables and have done that
> with other DBMSs using stored procedures. Besides performance, I believe
> that's one of the primary advantages of stored procedures. I grant execute
> on the procedure to a group containing the users with controlled update
> access. Never on the table. I cannot seem to find the equivalent in
> postgres. I had hoped to be able to do this with user-defined functions
> but the following statement implies that if the SECURITY DEFINER is used,
> that *anyone* who can get to that function can execute it. Hardly the
> solution I am looking for. The alternative being that I must grant update
> to the table :(
>
> The CREATE FUNCTION clause SECURITY DEFINER makes the function run with the
> privileges of the user who created it. Otherwise, the INVOKER's privileges
> are used.
>
> Am I missing something here? Is there another way?

You can control who can execute the function. By default 'public' can execute
functions, but you can revoke that access.