Re: Directly embedding a psql SET variable inside another string?

Do you mean like this?

postgres=# \set v_embed %:v_ssn%
postgres=# \echo :v_embed
%345%
postgres=# SELECT * FROM employee WHERE ssn LIKE :'v_embed';
ssn | name
-----------+----------
123456789 | John Doe
(1 row)

On Fri, Jan 13, 2023 at 8:12 AM Ron <ronljohnsonjr(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

>
> Pg 12
>
> I need to pass a \set variable (in this example named v_ssn) into a LIKE
> string. A two-stage process (building v_like from v_ssn, and then using
> v_like in the LIKE string) works, and is fine when executing an sql script,
> but not so good is there any way to *directly* embed v_ssn in another
> string?
>
> test=# \set v_ssn 345
> test=# \echo :v_ssn
> 345
> test=# \set v_like %:v_ssn%
> test=# \echo :v_like
> %345%
>
> test=# SELECT * FROM employee WHERE ssn LIKE :'v_like';
> ssn | name | ssn_int
> -----------+----------+-----------
> 123456789 | John Doe | 123456789
> (1 row)
>
> As expected, this fails:
>
> postgres=# SELECT * FROM employee WHERE ssn LIKE :'%v_ssn%';
> ERROR: syntax error at or near ":"
> LINE 1: SELECT * FROM employee WHERE ssn LIKE :'%v_ssn%';
>
>
> --
> Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.
>