Re: Formal Syntax of PL/pgSQL

On Thu, Dec 5, 2024 at 02:33:16PM +0000, PG Doc comments form wrote:
> The following documentation comment has been logged on the website:
>
> Page: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/17/index.html
> Description:
>
> I am currently working on a project that involves analyzing and building AST
> (Abstract Syntax Tree) interfaces for PL/pgSQL in TypeScript. My goal is to
> model the entire syntax of PL/pgSQL comprehensively, covering all its
> constructs exactly as they are understood syntactically by PostgreSQL when
> processing functions or procedures.
>
> While exploring the official documentation, I noticed that commands like
> CREATE TABLE or SELECT are documented with clear and formalized syntax
> structures, which are incredibly helpful for developers needing to parse or
> programmatically interact with these commands. However, for PL/pgSQL, I
> couldn't find a similar consolidated syntax reference. For instance, while
> the documentation explains the supported declarations, control structures,
> and statements, it lacks a unified formal syntax block that encapsulates the
> entire language as PostgreSQL interprets it.
>
> Would it be possible to provide such a formal syntax reference for PL/pgSQL,
> or point me toward an existing resource that captures this? Having access to
> a detailed and comprehensive syntax description would be immensely helpful
> for projects requiring precise parsing and manipulation of PL/pgSQL code.

I doubt it since no one has ever asked for this before, and we usually
tell them to look at the plpgsql parser if they want those details.

--
Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us> https://momjian.us
EDB https://enterprisedb.com

Do not let urgent matters crowd out time for investment in the future.