Re: psql - user defined SQL variables

Thanks for the response - pity PostgreSQL doesn't have this. These are a
bunch of quick and dirty data population scripts which I was hoping to
avoid rewriting to use temporary tables, subselects etc.
It is a useful feature for these kind of scripts (Sybase has it and it has
always had subselects) - and in Oracle I can use an anonymous PL/SQL block
to declare and use variables directly in sqlplus.
Are there any plans for PostgreSQL to support anonymous PL/pgSQL blocks
directly in psql - now that would be very nice!
Thanks again.
Grainne.

At 01:48 AM 8/18/2004, David Fetter wrote:
>On Wed, Aug 18, 2004 at 12:22:27AM -0400, Grainne Reilly wrote:
> > I am new to PostgreSQL and am porting some scripts written for MySQL
> > over to psql.
>
>The least work you'll do here is to refactor your app entirely.
>
>PostgreSQL will just plain handle about 3/4 of what you used to have
>to deal with up in middleware land. It also supports all kinds of
>wizardry that will astound you as you run across it. :)
>
> > There is one MySQL feature which I cannot find in psql - user
> > defined SQL variables. In MySQL I can use these to hold the result
> > (numeric, string or null) of a select: e.g. select @count =
> > count(*) from mytable;
>
>This is a MySQLism to work around their lack of subselects. But if
>that turns out not to be enough, you have a broad choice of procedural
>languages, from the ADA-like PL/PgSQL to PL/Perl, PL/Python and (soon)
>PL/PHP.
>
> > Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
>
>See about redoing your app. It will be less work than trying to graft
>the MySQL design onto PostgreSQL, which is about like trying to hook
>an ox cart to a jet engine :)
>
>Cheers,
>D
>--
>David Fetter david(at)fetter(dot)org http://fetter.org/
>phone: +1 510 893 6100 mobile: +1 415 235 3778
>
>Remember to vote!
>
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