The pg_variables extension is included into Postgres Pro. Once you have Postgres Pro installed, you must execute the CREATE EXTENSION command to enable pg_variables, as follows:

CREATE EXTENSION pg_variables;

The pg_variables module provides several functions for creating, reading, and managing variables of scalar, record, and array types. See the following sections for function descriptions and syntax:

For detailed usage examples, see Section F.49.4.

SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'int1', 101);
BEGIN;
SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'int2', 102);
ROLLBACK;

SELECT * FROM pgv_list() order by package, name;
 package | name | is_transactional
---------+------+------------------
 vars    | int1 | f
 vars    | int2 | f

BEGIN;
SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'trans_int', 101, true);
SAVEPOINT sp1;
SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'trans_int', 102, true);
ROLLBACK TO sp1;
COMMIT;
SELECT pgv_get('vars', 'trans_int', NULL::int);
 pgv_get
---------
     101

SELECT pgv_insert('pack', 'var_record', row(123::int, 'text'::text), true);

SELECT pgv_insert('pack', 'var_record', row(456::int, 'another text'::text));
ERROR:  variable "var_record" already created as TRANSACTIONAL

SELECT pgv_delete('pack', 'var_record', 123::int);
    

SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_reg', 123);
SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_trans', 456, true);
BEGIN;
SELECT pgv_free();
ROLLBACK;
SELECT * FROM pgv_list();
 package |   name    | is_transactional 
---------+-----------+------------------
 pack    | var_trans | t

Define scalar variables using the pgv_set() function, and then return their values using the pgv_get() function:

SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'int1', 101);
SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'int2', 102);
SELECT pgv_set('vars', 'text1', 'text variable'::text);

SELECT pgv_get('vars', 'int1', NULL::int);
 pgv_get
-------------
         101

SELECT pgv_get('vars', 'int2', NULL::int);
 pgv_get
-------------
         102

SELECT pgv_get('vars', 'text1', NULL::text);
 pgv_get
---------------
 text variable

Let's assume we have the tab table and examine several examples of using record variables:

CREATE TABLE tab (id int, t varchar);
INSERT INTO tab VALUES (0, 'str00'), (1, 'str11');

You can use the following functions to work with record variables:

SELECT pgv_insert('vars', 'r1', tab) FROM tab;

SELECT pgv_select('vars', 'r1');
 pgv_select
------------
 (1,str11)
 (0,str00)

SELECT pgv_select('vars', 'r1', 1);
 pgv_select
------------
 (1,str11)

SELECT pgv_select('vars', 'r1', 0);
 pgv_select
------------
 (0,str00)

SELECT pgv_select('vars', 'r1', ARRAY[1, 0]);
 pgv_select
------------
 (1,str11)
 (0,str00)

SELECT pgv_delete('vars', 'r1', 1);

SELECT pgv_select('vars', 'r1');
 pgv_select
------------
 (0,str00)

Consider the behavior of a transactional variable var_text when changed before and after savepoints:

SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_text', 'before transaction block'::text, true);
BEGIN;
SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_text', 'before savepoint'::text, true);
SAVEPOINT sp1;
SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_text', 'savepoint sp1'::text, true);
SAVEPOINT sp2;
SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_text', 'savepoint sp2'::text, true);
RELEASE sp2;
SELECT pgv_get('pack', 'var_text', NULL::text);
    pgv_get
---------------
 savepoint sp2

ROLLBACK TO sp1;
SELECT pgv_get('pack', 'var_text', NULL::text);
     pgv_get
------------------
 before savepoint

ROLLBACK;
SELECT pgv_get('pack', 'var_text', NULL::text);
         pgv_get
--------------------------
 before transaction block

If you create a variable after BEGIN or SAVEPOINT statements and than rollback to the previous state, the transactional variable is removed:

BEGIN;
SAVEPOINT sp1;
SAVEPOINT sp2;
SELECT pgv_set('pack', 'var_int', 122, true);
RELEASE SAVEPOINT sp2;
SELECT pgv_get('pack', 'var_int', NULL::int);
pgv_get
---------
     122

ROLLBACK TO sp1;
SELECT pgv_get('pack','var_int', NULL::int);
ERROR:  unrecognized variable "var_int"
COMMIT;

List the available packages and variables:

SELECT * FROM pgv_list() ORDER BY package, name;
 package |   name   | is_transactional 
---------+----------+------------------
 pack    | var_text | t
 vars    | int1     | f
 vars    | int2     | f
 vars    | r1       | f
 vars    | text1    | f

Get the amount of memory used by variables, in bytes:

SELECT * FROM pgv_stats() ORDER BY package;
 package | allocated_memory 
---------+------------------
 pack    |            16384
 vars    |            32768

Delete the specified variables or packages:

SELECT pgv_remove('vars', 'int1');
SELECT pgv_remove('vars');

Delete all packages and variables:

SELECT pgv_free();

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