Thread: proposal - plpgsql: execute using into

Hello

Current EXECUTE statemtn doesn't support other way for parametrisation than 
concating strings. It works well but it's little bit unreadable. Oracle's 
statement EXECUTE has positional replacement feature. It works similar our 
RAISE statement (when position holder is %). EXECUTE position holder has 
form :xxxx. xxxx has only symbolic value and isn't used for anything. Syntax 
of enhanced statements is:

EXECUTE 'format string' USING expr_list

There are some problems about replacing string values in the SQL string. 
Sometimes we have to enclose value between spaces or others symbols 
(apostrophe or double apostrophe), sometimes not. Possible rules: a) if position holder is inside string or identifier
wedon't enclose 
 
value; b) else numeric values are enclosed spaces and others (non regclass) 
single apostrophes c) regclass's values are enclosed douple apostrophes.

PL/pgSQL knows three dynamic statements. All will be enhanced.

Some examples:

EXECUTE 'SELECT :name||:sp||:surname' USING 'Pavel',' ','Stehule';
EXECUTE e'SELECT \':name :surname' USING 'Pavel','Stehule';
EXECUTE 'SELECT * FROM :tabname' USING 'xb'::regclass;
EXECUTE 'SELECT * FROM ":base:num" USING 'mytab',1;

You can test it. I sent patch to pg_patches.

I invite any comments

Pavel Stehule

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"Pavel Stehule" <pavel.stehule@hotmail.com> writes:
> Current EXECUTE statemtn doesn't support other way for parametrisation than 
> concating strings. It works well but it's little bit unreadable. Oracle's 
> statement EXECUTE has positional replacement feature.
> ...
> There are some problems about replacing string values in the SQL string. 

Doesn't the Oracle implementation already imply a solution to that?

The examples you give look to me like they are escaping problems waiting
to happen, especially in view of the upcoming change in default
backslash behavior, so this whole thing makes me feel pretty nervous.
I think we'd be best off to leave EXECUTE alone, at least until we've
converged to the point where almost nobody is using non-standard-compliant
strings.
        regards, tom lane

> > There are some problems about replacing string values in the SQL string.
>
>Doesn't the Oracle implementation already imply a solution to that?
>

I don't know. I didn't find any detail documentation about it. I don't know 
what Oracle exactly do.

>I think we'd be best off to leave EXECUTE alone, at least until we've
>converged to the point where almost nobody is using non-standard-compliant
>strings.
>

Maybe, but patch have to solve SQL string and non SQL strings too

Regards
Pavel Stehule

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Pavel Stehule wrote:
> > > There are some problems about replacing string values in the SQL string.
> >
> >Doesn't the Oracle implementation already imply a solution to that?
> >
> 
> I don't know. I didn't find any detail documentation about it. I don't know 
> what Oracle exactly do.
> 
> >I think we'd be best off to leave EXECUTE alone, at least until we've
> >converged to the point where almost nobody is using non-standard-compliant
> >strings.
> >
> 
> Maybe, but patch have to solve SQL string and non SQL strings too

Pavel, I am still confused what the USING clause is for, and you need to
research how Oracle handles it before we can add this.  Would you
provide an example of its usage?

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