Tom,
I concur with the other comment that plpgql is intended to mimic Oracle PL/SQL, not SQL/PSM. If we try to follow two different leads we are likely to find ourselves with a mess.
Well, the proposed functionality would be extremely useful in making PL/pgSQL a more robust language. So can we find a syntax that is unambiguously assignment? To be honest, I'm unclear on what's wrong with Pavel's suggested syntax.
--Josh ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 4: Have you searched our list archives? http://archives.postgresql.org