PL/PGSQL rowtype return problem - Mailing list pgsql-general

Hi,
I have a problem when I create a function that returns a rowtype. I can't access the individual fields of that rowtype
fromanother function if I put the results in a row type variable. 
I'm inserting many records into a table (let's say, insert_table). This table has a trigger on it since I need to
performsome operations on each row I insert. These operations need to have default information that's stored in another
table(let's say, default_values). To avoid this query getting called for every row (ie. inserting 1,000,000 records
intothis insert_table), I'd like to create a function that returns a rowtype result from this default_table then
declareit immutable so it will only get executed once and then store the result. For example: 
defaults stored in: default_values
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_default_values()
RETURNS default_values AS
$BODY$
DECLARE
ret_record default_values;
BEGIN
SELECT * INTO ret_record
FROM default_values;
RETURN ret_record;
END;
$BODY$
LANGUAGE 'plpgsql' IMMUTABLE STRICT;
now on the trigger to the insert table we have a function that get's called before every insert.
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION insert_table_fn()
RETURNS "trigger" AS
$BODY$
DECLARE
defaults default_values;
BEGIN
SELECT get_default_values() INTO defaults;

NEW.f1 = defaults.f1;
NEW.f2 = defaults.f2;
NEW.f3 = defaults.f3;
RETURN NEW;
END;
$BODY$
LANGUAGE 'plpgsql' VOLATILE;
When I run this it says that there's a type mismatch and gives me the whole rowtype back
ERROR: invalid input syntax for integer: "(val1, val2, val3, val4)"
SQL state: 22P02
Now if I go NEW.f1 = SELECT (get_default_values()).f1 this works. But then I have a write this function out in full
everytime I want to get one of it's fields. ie 
NEW.f1 = SELECT (get_default_values()).f1;
NEW.f2 = SELECT (get_default_values()).f2;
NEW.f3 = SELECT (get_default_values()).f3;
Why can't I declare a rowtype variable, put the result in and then grab the individual field types from that variable.
Thanks for your help
Robert
*****************************************************
Robert Wickert
Senior Software Developer
CONTEXT
Tel:+44 (0)20 8394 7739
Fax:+44 (0)20 8394 7701
Email Address: rwickert@contextworld.com
Web Site: http://www.contextworld.com
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