creating a complex aggregate function - Mailing list pgsql-general

From Najib Abi Fadel
Subject creating a complex aggregate function
Date
Msg-id 003d01c4627a$1ff1a9c0$f664a8c0@najib
Whole thread Raw
Responses Re: creating a complex aggregate function  (Richard Huxton <dev@archonet.com>)
List pgsql-general
Hi
i have an ordered table of dates let's say:
 
1/1/2004
8/1/2004
15/1/2004
29/1/2004
5/2/2004
12/2/2004
 
I am searching for a way to have the minimum date and maximum date for dates seperated by one week whitout gaps between them in a string.
which will give the following output:
1/1/2004:15/1/2004;29/1/2004:12/2/2004;
 
I was thinking of doing this with an aggregate function.
 
So i thought about writing the following C code :
 
#include "postgres.h"
#include "utils/date.h"
 
int32 i;//initially equal to zero
text * charresult;
/*
text * concat(,){} // NOT IMPLEMENTED (HOW TO DO IT ??)
*/
 
PG_FUNCTION_INFO_V1(computechar);
 
Datum  computechar(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS) {
 
           DateADT d1=PG_GETARG_DATEADT(0);
           DateADT d2=PG_GETARG_DATEADT(1);
 
            int32 diff= (int32) (d2 - d1);
            i++;
 
              if(diff == 7*i)
                PG_RETURN_DATEADT(d1);
              else
                {
               charresult=concat(charresult,d1);
               charresult=concat(charresult,":");
               charresult=concat(charresult,d2);
               charresult=concat(charresult,";");
               PG_RETURN_DATEADT(d2); 
                }
}
 

PG_FUNCTION_INFO_V1(returncomputedchar);
 
    Datum returncomputedchar (PG_FUNCTION_ARGS) {
                                       
                                           PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(charresult);
                                        }
 
And then i will create the aggregate as follows (after compiling ...) :
 
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION computechar(date,date) returns date as '/home/nabifadel/tempo/groupingWeeks.so' LANGUAGE 'C' WITH (isStrict);
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION returncomputedchar (date) returns text as '/home/nabifadel/tempo/groupingWeeks.so' LANGUAGE 'C' WITH (isStrict);
 
CREATE AGGREGATE groupe_weeks_agg( basetype = date, sfunc = computechar,stype = date, finalfunc = returncomputedchar);
 
 
The function 'computechar' will put the result in the variable 'charresult' that will be returned by the function 'returncomputedchar'.
 
My first question is : Could this work the way i am thinking of it ??
 
My second question is how to implement the function 'concat' that will return a text concatenation of  dates and text.
(the question is basically how to transform a date into text).
 
It's the first time i try to implement an aggregate function and i need help + i haven't been using C language frequently the last few years (there may be errors) .
 
Thx.
 
 
 
 

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