Tom Lane wrote: >>3. PL/pgSQL support for returning sets -- this seems to me like an >>important item if SRFs are to be useful to the masses. Any pointers on >>how to approach this would be appreciated. > > Does Oracle's pl/sql support this? If so what does it look like?
I *think* Oracle pl/sql can return (the equivilent of) setof composite using a special Oracle package (DBMS_OUTPUT, see: http://www.ora.com/catalog/oraclebip/chapter/ch06.html), but it cannot be used as a row source in a FROM clause. Hopefully an Oracle guru will correct or add to this. I know that MS SQL Server can return one *or more* result sets from a "stored procedure", however they cannot be used as FROM clause row sources either (at least not as of MSSQL 7, but I don't think that has changed in MSSQL 2000). The syntax is something like: exec sp_myprocedure It is *not* possible to define a VIEW based on a stored procedure, but many MS centric report writers allow the "exec sp_myprocedure" syntax as a row source for reports. As far as PL/pgSQL is concerned, I was thinking that a new type of RETURN (maybe "RETURN NEXT myval" ??) command could be used, which would indicate "rsi->isDone = ExprMultipleResult", and that the standard RETURN command would set "rsi->isDone = ExprEndResult", but only if "fcinfo->resultinfo != NULL". That way you could do something like: . . . FOR row IN select_query LOOP statements RETURN NEXT row; END LOOP; RETURN NULL; . . . Does this sound reasonable? Joe ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 2: you can get off all lists at once with the unregister command (send "unregister YourEmailAddressHere" to [EMAIL PROTECTED])
