Queries slow from within plpgsql - Mailing list pgsql-general

I've been trying to create functions with postgres, but it seems that
queries run within a function take wayyy too long to complete.  The
increased time seems to be in the actual queries, not function call
overhead or something, but I can't for the life of me figure out why
it's slower like this.  I've simplified it to what you see below.

Any insight would be *much* appreciated.  Thanks!
- Dave


dave=# SELECT * FROM testfunc('V2P 6H3');
  testfunc
----------
         1
(1 row)

Time: 1120.634 ms
dave=# SELECT * FROM zips WHERE zip='V2P 6H3';
                city                | state |   zip   | areacode |
    county           | time_zone | dst | country | latitude | longitude
| zip_type | fips
-----------------------------------+-------+---------+----------
+---------------------------+-----------+-----+---------+----------
+-----------+----------+-------
  Chilliwack                        | BC    | V2P 6H3 | 604      |
                     | PST       | Y   | C       |  49.1757 |  121.9301
|          |
(1 row)

Time: 0.895 ms
dave=# SELECT * FROM testfunc('V2P 6H3');
  testfunc
----------
         1
(1 row)

Time: 1287.793 ms
dave=# \df+ testfunc

          List of functions
  Result data type | Schema |   Name   | Argument data types | Owner |
Language |                                     Source code
                         | Description
------------------+--------+----------+---------------------+-------
+----------
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------+-------------
  integer          | public | testfunc | text                | dave  |
plpgsql  | DECLARE zip1 RECORD; BEGIN SELECT INTO zip1 * FROM zips
WHERE zip=$1; RETURN 1; END; |
(1 row)

dave=# \d zips
                    Table "public.zips"
   Column   |     Type      |          Modifiers
-----------+---------------+-----------------------------
  city      | character(33) |
  state     | character(2)  |
  zip       | character(7)  | not null default ''::bpchar
  areacode  | character(3)  |
  county    | character(25) |
  time_zone | character(5)  |
  dst       | character(1)  |
  country   | character(1)  |
  latitude  | numeric(6,4)  |
  longitude | numeric(7,4)  |
  zip_type  | character(1)  |
  fips      | character(5)  |
Indexes:
     "zip_idx" btree (zip)

dave=# select version();
                                                          version
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
  PostgreSQL 7.4.2 on i686-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC gcc (GCC) 3.3.2
20031218 (Gentoo Linux 3.3.2-r5, propolice-3.3-7)
(1 row)