| From: | Jack Christensen <jack(at)jncsoftware(dot)com> | 
|---|---|
| To: | pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org | 
| Subject: | Functions that return a set in select column list | 
| Date: | 2012-02-17 01:39:28 | 
| Message-ID: | 4F3DAFD0.6030609@jncsoftware.com | 
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| Thread: | |
| Lists: | pgsql-general | 
* Apologies if anyone receives this multiple times. I previously sent it 
with a subject that started with "Set" and it triggered some sort of 
admin filter.
Can someone explain how set returning functions in a select clause work?
It seems that it is doing some sort of implicit cross join.
deliverance_development=# select id, generate_series(1, 3) from users;
  id | generate_series
----+-----------------
   0 |               1
   0 |               2
   0 |               3
   1 |               1
   1 |               2
   1 |               3
(6 rows)
But if multiple set returning functions that return the same number of 
rows are in the same select it doesn't further cross join it.
deliverance_development=# select id, generate_series(1, 3), 
generate_series(4, 6) from users;
  id | generate_series | generate_series
----+-----------------+-----------------
   0 |               1 |               4
   0 |               2 |               5
   0 |               3 |               6
   1 |               1 |               4
   1 |               2 |               5
   1 |               3 |               6
(6 rows)
But if the set returning functions return a different number of rows 
then it goes back to a cross join.
deliverance_development=# select id, generate_series(1, 3), 
generate_series(4, 5) from users;
  id | generate_series | generate_series
----+-----------------+-----------------
   0 |               1 |               4
   0 |               2 |               5
   0 |               3 |               4
   0 |               1 |               5
   0 |               2 |               4
   0 |               3 |               5
   1 |               1 |               4
   1 |               2 |               5
   1 |               3 |               4
   1 |               1 |               5
   1 |               2 |               4
   1 |               3 |               5
(12 rows)
I really don't understand what is going on here. I have checked Google 
and the PostgreSQL docs, but it appears either I do not know the key 
words to search for or it is sparsely documented.
Jack
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