Wither 8.3 doc's on cast operator for domain data types? - Mailing list pgsql-general

Using Postgres 8.3.6, trying to run a query with
bound parameters gives me:

    ERROR:  XX000: error from Perl function
    "expire_facts": operator does not exist: retire
    d_date => retired_date at line 56.

"retired_date" is one of a set of domains defined via:

    create domain publish_date
        timestamp
        not null
        /* no default */
    ;

    create domain retired_date
        timestamp
        not null
        default 'infinity'
    ;

    create domain insert_date
        timestamp
        not null
        default now()
    ;

    create domain expired_date
        timestamp
        not null
        default 'infinity'
    ;

At one point I have an insertion trigger that
rejectes duplicate records. It uses a prepared
query via plperl:

    spi_prepare
    q
    {
        select
            facts_id,
            publish,
            compare,
            value,
            large
        from
            facts
        where
            identifier_id   = $1
            and
            type_id         = $2
            and
            ontology_id     = $3
            and
            sub_type_id     = $4
            and
            unit_id         = $5
            and
            publish         <= $6 /* where the problem lies */
            and
            retired         => $6 /* where the problem lies */
    },
    (
        ( 'INTEGER' ) x 5,  # $required_fieldz, $default_fieldz
        'TIMESTAMP'         # $pub
    );

I have tried various forms of "cast( $6 as retired_date )",
"$6::retired_date", but skill get the XX000 error.

Google and searching the 8.3 online doc's havn't gotten
me any doc's or examples on syntax for defining the
missing conversion operator.

Q: Where in the 8.3 doc's are the converson operators
   (or a cast syntax for bound parameters based on
   domains) described?

Or is the problem that I cannot re-cycle $6 when
it has to be cast to two separate domains -- even
if both of them are based on "timestamp"?

Example log entry using "cast( $6 as retired_date ):

LOG:  00000: duration: 0.340 ms  bind dbdpg_p24876_1:  insert into facts (compare,value,s
ub_type_id,dataset_id,identifier_id,unit_id,publish,type_id,ontology_id)values ($1,$2,$3,$4,$5,$6,$7,$8,$9) 2009-06-11
11:28:29.420EDT lembark 4a31229d.6132 0 3/37 10 DETAIL:  parameters: $1 =
'010001101000011011000110001011101010011001001110100101101010111010110110000001000000101001001100', $2 = '{"bacterium
P2"}',$3 = '16', $4 = '3', $5 = '41762', $6 = '0', $7 = '2009-06-10 16:20:18', $8 = '13', $ 9 = '3' 
LOCATION:  exec_bind_message, postgres.c:1784
INFO:  00000: ARRAY(0xd3db18)
LOCATION:  do_spi_elog, SPI.xs:27
STATEMENT:   insert into facts (compare,value,sub_type_id,dataset_id,identifier_id,unit
_id,publish,type_id,ontology_id)values ($1,$2,$3,$4,$5,$6,$7,$8,$9) 
ERROR:  XX000: error from Perl function "expire_facts": operator does not exist: retired_date => retired_date at line
56.
LOCATION:  plperl_call_perl_trigger_func, plperl.c:1179

This seems odd in particular since

    operator does not exist: retired_date => retired_date at line 56.

seems to indicate that retired date cannot be
cast to itself?

This also seems odd since passing in timestamps
with other queries seems to work happily and
perform the convrsion automatically.

thanx

--
Steven Lembark                                            85-09 90th St.
Workhorse Computing                                 Woodhaven, NY, 11421
lembark@wrkhors.com                                      +1 888 359 3508