Thread: question - plpgsql and query on table given by variable

Please, help me.
I am new with PostgreSQL, I need create function in plpgsql where I use SQL question on the name of table whitch is
givenby variable in called function. Here is absolutly simple example: 

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION pokus(varchar) RETURNS int4 AS '
DECLARE
  v ALIAS FOR $1;
BEGIN
  SELECT AsText(the_geom) FROM v;
  RETURN 0;
END;
' LANGUAGE plpgsql;

And this is error:

SELECT pokus('sometable');
ERROR: syntax error at or near "$1" at character 32
QUERY: SELECT Astext(the_geom) FROM $1
CONTEXT: PL/pgSQL function "pokus" line 4 at SQL statement
LINE 1: SELECT Astext(the_geom) FROM $1
                                                           ^

Also I tryed create function foo() whitch returns some varchar (in my case name of table) and then i tryed call it in
otherfunction like name of table. Example: 

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION pokus1() RETURNS int4 AS $$
BEGIN
  PERFORM AsText(the_geom) FROM foo();
  RETURN 0;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE PLPGSQL;

And I received this errors:
SELECT pokus1();
ERROR: column "the_geom" does not exist
CONTEXT: SQL statement "PERFORM AsText(the_geom) FROM foo()"
PL/pgSQL function "pokus1" line 2 at SQL statement

The column the_geom EXIST inside the table which is represented by my function foo(). When I displace foo() by same
nameof the table it works.  

Thank you for your help.

On Sun, Aug 28, 2005 at 11:43:00PM +0200,  Jaromír Kamler wrote:
> I am new with PostgreSQL, I need create function in plpgsql where
> I use SQL question on the name of table whitch is given by variable
> in called function.

See "Executing Dynamic Commands" in the PL/pgSQL documentation.
Here's a link to the documentation for the latest version of
PostgreSQL (but use the documentation for whatever version you're
running):

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.0/static/plpgsql-statements.html#PLPGSQL-STATEMENTS-EXECUTING-DYN

--
Michael Fuhr