Sophie: postgresql8.2-docs-8.2.14-1mdv2010.0 i586

postgresql8.2-docs-8.2.14-1mdv2010.0.i586.rpm

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>PostgreSQL 8.2.14 Documentation</TH
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><H1
><A
NAME="PLPGSQL"
></A
>Chapter 37. <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
> - <ACRONYM
CLASS="ACRONYM"
>SQL</ACRONYM
> Procedural Language</H1
><DIV
CLASS="TOC"
><DL
><DT
><B
>Table of Contents</B
></DT
><DT
>37.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-overview.html"
>Overview</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
>37.1.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-overview.html#PLPGSQL-ADVANTAGES"
>Advantages of Using <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
></A
></DT
><DT
>37.1.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-overview.html#PLPGSQL-ARGS-RESULTS"
>Supported Argument and Result Data Types</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
><DT
>37.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-development-tips.html"
>Tips for Developing in <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
></A
></DT
><DT
>37.3. <A
HREF="plpgsql-structure.html"
>Structure of <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
></A
></DT
><DT
>37.4. <A
HREF="plpgsql-declarations.html"
>Declarations</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
>37.4.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-declarations.html#PLPGSQL-DECLARATION-ALIASES"
>Aliases for Function Parameters</A
></DT
><DT
>37.4.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-declarations.html#PLPGSQL-DECLARATION-TYPE"
>Copying Types</A
></DT
><DT
>37.4.3. <A
HREF="plpgsql-declarations.html#PLPGSQL-DECLARATION-ROWTYPES"
>Row Types</A
></DT
><DT
>37.4.4. <A
HREF="plpgsql-declarations.html#PLPGSQL-DECLARATION-RECORDS"
>Record Types</A
></DT
><DT
>37.4.5. <A
HREF="plpgsql-declarations.html#PLPGSQL-DECLARATION-RENAMING-VARS"
><TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>RENAME</TT
></A
></DT
></DL
></DD
><DT
>37.5. <A
HREF="plpgsql-expressions.html"
>Expressions</A
></DT
><DT
>37.6. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html"
>Basic Statements</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
>37.6.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-ASSIGNMENT"
>Assignment</A
></DT
><DT
>37.6.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-SQL-NORESULT"
>Executing a Query With No Result</A
></DT
><DT
>37.6.3. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-SQL-ONEROW"
>Executing a Query with a Single-Row Result</A
></DT
><DT
>37.6.4. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-NULL"
>Doing Nothing At All</A
></DT
><DT
>37.6.5. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-EXECUTING-DYN"
>Executing Dynamic Commands</A
></DT
><DT
>37.6.6. <A
HREF="plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-DIAGNOSTICS"
>Obtaining the Result Status</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
><DT
>37.7. <A
HREF="plpgsql-control-structures.html"
>Control Structures</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
>37.7.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-control-structures.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-RETURNING"
>Returning From a Function</A
></DT
><DT
>37.7.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-control-structures.html#PLPGSQL-CONDITIONALS"
>Conditionals</A
></DT
><DT
>37.7.3. <A
HREF="plpgsql-control-structures.html#PLPGSQL-CONTROL-STRUCTURES-LOOPS"
>Simple Loops</A
></DT
><DT
>37.7.4. <A
HREF="plpgsql-control-structures.html#PLPGSQL-RECORDS-ITERATING"
>Looping Through Query Results</A
></DT
><DT
>37.7.5. <A
HREF="plpgsql-control-structures.html#PLPGSQL-ERROR-TRAPPING"
>Trapping Errors</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
><DT
>37.8. <A
HREF="plpgsql-cursors.html"
>Cursors</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
>37.8.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-cursors.html#PLPGSQL-CURSOR-DECLARATIONS"
>Declaring Cursor Variables</A
></DT
><DT
>37.8.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-cursors.html#PLPGSQL-CURSOR-OPENING"
>Opening Cursors</A
></DT
><DT
>37.8.3. <A
HREF="plpgsql-cursors.html#PLPGSQL-CURSOR-USING"
>Using Cursors</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
><DT
>37.9. <A
HREF="plpgsql-errors-and-messages.html"
>Errors and Messages</A
></DT
><DT
>37.10. <A
HREF="plpgsql-trigger.html"
>Trigger Procedures</A
></DT
><DT
>37.11. <A
HREF="plpgsql-porting.html"
>Porting from <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>Oracle</SPAN
> PL/SQL</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
>37.11.1. <A
HREF="plpgsql-porting.html#AEN40711"
>Porting Examples</A
></DT
><DT
>37.11.2. <A
HREF="plpgsql-porting.html#PLPGSQL-PORTING-OTHER"
>Other Things to Watch For</A
></DT
><DT
>37.11.3. <A
HREF="plpgsql-porting.html#PLPGSQL-PORTING-APPENDIX"
>Appendix</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
></DL
></DIV
><A
NAME="AEN39286"
></A
><P
>  <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
> is a loadable procedural
  language for the <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>PostgreSQL</SPAN
> database
  system.  The design goals of <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
> were to create
  a loadable procedural language that

    <P
></P
></P><UL
><LI
><P
>       can be used to create functions and trigger procedures,
      </P
></LI
><LI
><P
>       adds control structures to the <ACRONYM
CLASS="ACRONYM"
>SQL</ACRONYM
> language,
      </P
></LI
><LI
><P
>       can perform complex computations,
      </P
></LI
><LI
><P
>       inherits all user-defined types, functions, and operators,
      </P
></LI
><LI
><P
>       can be defined to be trusted by the server,
      </P
></LI
><LI
><P
>       is easy to use.
      </P
></LI
></UL
><P>
   </P
><P
>    Except for input/output conversion and calculation functions
    for user-defined types, anything that can be defined in C language
    functions can also be done with <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>PL/pgSQL</SPAN
>.
    For example, it is possible to
    create complex conditional computation functions and later use
    them to define operators or use them in index expressions.
   </P
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