Re: [PERFORM] Set-Returning Functions WAS: On the performance of

Josh Berkus wrote:
> Bill,
>
>>I don't understand at all. If I do "SELECT * FROM
>>set_returning_function()" and all I'm going to do is iterate through the
>>columns and rows, adding them to a two dimensional array that will be
>>marshalled as a SOAP message, what about not knowing the nature of the
>>return set can cause me to get no data?
>
> Because that's not the syntax for a function that returns SETOF RECORD.
>
> The syntax is:
>
> SELECT *
> FROM set_returning_function(var1, var2) AS alias (col1 TYPE, col2 TYPE);
>
> That is, if the function definition does not contain a clear row structure,
> the query has to contain one.
>
> This does not apply to functions that are based on a table or composite type:
>
> CREATE FUNCTION .... RETURNS SETOF table1 ...
> CREATE FUNCTION .... RETURNS SETOF comp_type
>
> Can be called with:
>
> SELECT * FROM some_function(var1, var2) as alias;
>
> What this means is that you have to know the structure of the result set,
> either at function creation time or at function execution time.

Yep. You're right, I hadn't looked at that, but I'm probably better off
creating types and returning setof those types as much as possible.

>>One of the things I love about working with open source databases is I
>>don't see a lot of that. The people on these lists are almost always
>>smarter than me, and I find that comforting ;)
>
> Flattery will get you everywhere.

Really? I'll have to use it more often.

--
Bill Moran
Potential Technologies
http://www.potentialtech.com