Re: returning the number of rows output by a copy command from a function

Hi

Maybe:

1.

strSQL := 'copy (select MyColumns from MyExportTable) to MyFile.csv with
CSV HEADER;';
Execute strSQL

strSQL := 'Select count(*) from (select MyColumns from MyExportTable) t';
Execute strSQL into export_count;

Return export_count;

Kind Regards,

Misa

On Wednesday, January 16, 2013, James Sharrett wrote:

> I have a function that generates a table of records and then a SQL
> statement that does a COPY into a text file. I want to return the number
> of records output into the text file from my function. The number of rows
> in the table is not necessarily the number of rows in the file due to
> summarization of data in the table on the way out. Here is a very
> shortened version of what I'm doing:
>
>
> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION export_data(list of parameters)
> RETURNS integer AS
> $BODY$
>
> declare
> My variables
>
> Begin
>
> { A lot of SQL to build and populate the table of records to export}
>
>
> strSQL := 'copy (select MyColumns from MyExportTable) to MyFile.csv with
> CSV HEADER;';
> Execute strSQL;
>
> Return 0;
>
> end
> $BODY$
> LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE
>
> strSQL gets dynamically generated so it's not a static statement.
>
> This all works exactly as I want. But when I try to get the row count
> back out I cannot get it. I've tried the following:
>
> 1.
> strSQL := 'copy (select MyColumns from MyExportTable) to MyFile.csv with
> CSV HEADER;';
> Execute strSQL into export_count;
>
> Return export_count;
>
> This give me an error saying that I've tried to use the INTO statement
> with a command that doesn't return data.
>
>
> 2.
> strSQL := 'copy (select MyColumns from MyExportTable) to MyFile.csv with
> CSV HEADER;';
> Execute strSQL;
>
> Get diagnostics export_count = row_count;
>
> This always returns zero.
>
> 3.
> strSQL := 'copy (select MyColumns from MyExportTable) to MyFile.csv with
> CSV HEADER;';
> Execute strSQL;
>
> Return row_count;
>
> This returns a null.
>
> Any way to do this?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> James
>
>