"Greg Patnude" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > It would be really sweet in postgreSQL if we could apply the > equivalent of a printf(columnname) to the table definition -- MS > Access has what they call an "input mask" and it comes in really > handy -- however -- I havent used Access for anthing serious for > about 4 years...
Hmm. % man "create type" NAME CREATE TYPE - define a new data type SYNOPSIS CREATE TYPE name AS ( attribute_name data_type [, ... ] ) CREATE TYPE name ( INPUT = input_function, OUTPUT = output_function [ , RECEIVE = receive_function ] [ , SEND = send_function ] [ , INTERNALLENGTH = { internallength | VARIABLE } ] [ , PASSEDBYVALUE ] [ , ALIGNMENT = alignment ] [ , STORAGE = storage ] [ , DEFAULT = default ] [ , ELEMENT = element ] [ , DELIMITER = delimiter ] ) "input_function" and "output_function" sure _sound_ like what you're looking for. They would make your imagined issue of "missing leading zeros" go away. I think that CREATE TYPE has been around for a goodly few years now; it is not impossible that this functionality has been around longer than MS Access (which is saying something!). -- output = reverse("gro.mca" "@" "enworbbc") http://www3.sympatico.ca/cbbrowne/x.html Rules of the Evil Overlord #116. "If I capture the hero's starship, I will keep it in the landing bay with the ramp down, only a few token guards on duty and a ton of explosives set to go off as soon as it clears the blast-range." <http://www.eviloverlord.com/> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 8: explain analyze is your friend