Re: NULL value in subselect in UNION causes error - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: NULL value in subselect in UNION causes error
Date
Msg-id 28688.1169844084@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to NULL value in subselect in UNION causes error  (Jan Wieck <JanWieck@Yahoo.com>)
Responses Re: NULL value in subselect in UNION causes error  (Jan Wieck <JanWieck@Yahoo.com>)
List pgsql-hackers
Jan Wieck <JanWieck@Yahoo.com> writes:
> Checked it against HEAD and 8.2:
> postgres=# select 1, 1, 1 union select * from (select 2, null, 2) two;
> ERROR:  failed to find conversion function from "unknown" to integer

It's always done that.   The SQL spec would tell you that you have to
cast the null to some specific type.  We allow untyped nulls in contexts
where we can derive a type from reasonably nearby context, but an
integer two levels up and over in another union arm isn't very nearby
IMHO.  So I'm not particularly concerned about making this work ...
        regards, tom lane


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